OAMARU PLAYERS DOMINATED BOWLS

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30962, 19 January 1966, Page 10

OAMARU PLAYERS DOMINATED BOWLS

r |''HE performance of A. L. Rudduck and R. Keen, of Oamaru,playing in both the pairs and the fours finals was by far the outstanding performance in the New Zealand bowls championships which were held in Christchurch.

The final of the fours between Ruddock and C. Simon (Hutt) was considered by many spectators to be one of thebest finals ever seen at a national tournament. The precise drawing of both teams, the closeness of the score and the large crowd gave the final a tense atmosphere which belied any thoughts that bowls is a rather placid game.

By the time they had battled their way through to two finals, Rudduck and Keen had become quite distinct personalities. In their earlier games they were unobtrusively efficient but as they moved on, winning game after game, they showed that they had a fine sense of the dramatic and there was just a hint of the flamboyant in their last few matches.

They contrasted well: the dapper, short Rudduck, friendly and chatty on the green, and the gaunt Keen, who spoke only to advise and direct Rudduck’s shots.

Their play and tactics were an object lesson to those teams whose members all went for the shot. In the pairs and the fours they concentrated on placement

and positioning their bowls. Many spectators considered Rudduck was a lucky bowler because so often he scored points with his last bbwl after he had been outdrawn. But Rudduck was able to gain points because his bowls were already in a position where he could score heavily by turning the kitty away or taking out the shot bowl. The Meadowbank four was very well balanced. T. McGimpsey was an accurate lead and R. W. H. Anderson a sound player at number two who could always be relied to be near the kitty. Their opponents in the final C. Simon’s Hutt team, had a similar side of good drawing players, but Simon’s liaison with his number three was not as close as that between Rudduck and Keen and wrong advice from Newman on two occasions probably cost him the match.

W. P. O’Neill’s Carlton four—which included three New Zealand title-holders, O’Neill, N. D. Lash and C. D. McGarry, and the competent, G. Gifford—struggled in many of their matches before they were thrashed by Simon in the semi-final. The Carlton team on paper was the glamour four of the tournament but only occasionally did the players show their proper form. Lash did not lead very well, Gifford was inconsistent and too much was left to McGarry and O’Neill. O’Neill with his cherubic countenance and cheerful disposition has been one of New Zealand’s most consistently successful bowlers and has played in nine New Zealand finals. He showed that his driving still had the power that earned him the

name of ‘‘The Bomber” and his touch on the draw shot often produced some brilliant scoring. He and Gifford finished third in the pairs and they showed their fighting spirit in many games by coming from behind to win.

H. H. J. Robson’s Mangakino four went through to the semi-finals before it was beaten by Rudduck. Robson showed all his skill and his game against R. J. Andrew (Onehunga) was one of the most spectacular of the tournament; three sixes being scored in the 30-27 result.

Robson's lead, N. A. Faircloth, was perhaps the most consistent seen in the fours and it was an occasion for surprise if he was ever beaten by another lead. E. P. Exelby (Frankton Junction), W. L. Hampton (Naenae) and R. Lulham (Christchurch), who are all nominees for the world bowls championship, got as far as the quarter-finals as did the pleasant D. C. McKenzie (Milton), who was a singles finalist. E. W. Grimman and E. M. Wilson (Caversham) were worthy winners of the pairs title. Undoubtedly Rudduck’s four was a little tired after two tough fours matches on the Tuesday, but then Grimman and Wilson had been waiting for five days to play the final. After his first few games, P. C. Skoglund looked the likely winner of the singles championships. His wide of range shots; his equable temperament and ability to play both long and short ends set him just above such good players as McKenzie and G. H. Jolly (Leith). » Skoglund’s semi-final against Jolly was a superb match. The fine drawing, aggressive driving and placements of the players

made it a memorable game. There was some sympathy for M. R. Buchan (Waikato), who won the title in 1964 and 1965. He was hindered by a finger injury on his bowling hand and although he never complained about it it was obvious the injury was affecting his play. By the end of the tournament the bowling selectors who have to select the five players to represent New Zealand in the world bowls championship at Sydney must have felt that they had their problems. Not one of title holders had been nominated by their association and several of the nominees failed to show any form at all at Christchurch; some did not even come to the tournament.

Lulham, Exelby, Hampton all performed adequately and M. K. Boon (Christchurch) was an excellent lead for L. V. Donnelly in the pairs and for Lulham in the fours. J. N. S. Flett (Auckland) went into the post-section play in the fours and pairs but N. D. Lash was a disappointment as a lead. K. G. Murray (Opawa), had quite a good tournament but failed to reach the last 16 in any of the three events. A. Govorko (Te Puke), whose constant cigar puffiing brings him some attention was most consistent without really looking likely to win another title. One nominee, J. H. Rabone, who has already won two singles titles, did not play very well and his action, tvhen he obviously would not qualify for the fours, of playing only five ends in one match before conceding and then defaulting his last game was not very well received by other players.