N.Z. PAIRS BOWLING

Chronicle (Levin), 6 February 1947, Page 6

N.Z. PAIRS BOWLING

~Pres» Association

Fortunes Change ; Leading Players Crash

By Telegraph-

VV HiLjrjilN Ur iUiN , jceo. o. Some noted players with several major tournament honours to their credit, crashed wffien the pairs championship at the Dominion bowling tournament began today. Indieative of the widespread interest were the large attendances. • Among those attracting large galleries Avere the meeting of Littlejohn and Hadwin (Hutt) and Murdoch and Skoglund (Onehunga), the former winning the game marked by versatilitj'' on b'oth sides, and the match between Elsom and Shaw (Canterbury), both of whom have gained New Zealand honours, and Ed wards and Claridge (St. Ivilda), the Canterbury pair prevailing -by one point. Burd and Barrow (Seatoun) ruh-ners-up in the pairs last year, had a good win over Spearinan and Whyte (Christchurch E.S.A.) Two rounds were played during the day in A and B sections, and at the conclusion 130 two-lifers and 2G0 onelifers remained in out of the original 520 entries. The wreather was iine and greens fast. Play was occasionally tricky due to the fair bree^e. Hadwin lcilled the first head of his match with Slcoglund and later in the match Skoglund killed five time3. Skoglund led off writh 4 and was 8-4 on the 6th end. On the 8th end Skoglund killed when 3 down and on the replay Hadwin, when 2 down, lay 3 shots but his opponent saved 2. The score was 8 all on tlie 10th end and Hadwin led for the first time on the llth by 12-8 and was 16-10 to the good on. the 15th. On each the 18th and 19th ends Skoglund killed twice. On replay at the 19th Skoglund lay 3 but Hadwin saved 2. Skoglund was relying on his driving particularly at the end of the match but Hadwin 's drawing more than equalled this. The leads were evenly matched with Littlejohn, if anything, better. Hadwin finally won 20-15. The contest on the Wellington upper green between D. Iveyes and T. Stevens (Waimate) and A. S. Dignan and C. B. Clarke (Mt. Eden), was one of the most stirring of the day. Keyes and Stevens* wero 10 down at halfway but drew up to 21 all at the close of the 20tli end. Stevens burued the 21st head when 2 down. On the replay Keyes drew the shot to win 22-21. An interesting result at I.sland Bay was the defeat. of E. Jury and T. A. McClymont (Ponsonby) by H. Todd, and W. R. Fleming (Newtown). Fleming won the Wellington Centre 's cliampion pairs last year with A. R. Hastings. Todd last year Avon the Wellington Centre junior singies and wa3 in the semi-final and Wellington Centre champion singies. -Tury was the winning skip of the New Zealand foura in 1919 and 1921. McClymont is usually promiuent in New Zealand tournameuts. * Among winners of both their rounds wero G C. Claridge and W. Bremner (Epsom). Bremner was lead to C. E. Hardley in 1932 when they won the iN eiW. i Zealand pairs. He was skipper of the winning New Zealand fours in 1924 and 1929. • Masliu (Hawera) who led for Squire when they won thc New Zealand pairs in 1933 and 1938, is skipping successfully, having J. C. Thomas for a lead. Oir the !lv0lbur'p.'hpper green a twolifer : was E. : E. ' Somervell (Poverty Bavl who is' k nieniber of the New

Zealand Bowling Club. The veteran A. C. Mclntyre (Otaki Railway), playing with Symons, with whom he won the Wellington New Year pairs last month, was in good form on the Khandallah greens. In the same section are D. McCormack and M. J. Bquire (Hawera), the latter having skipped tlie winning New Zealand pair twice partnered by Maslin. A. Keast and C: H. Manning (Timaru) lost a life to B. Winthrope and T. Ryan (Porirua). Manning skipped the runuer-up pair in .1937 when D. Hunter and J. W. Lowry (Petone) won. A. T. Percy and F. H. Fredericks (Karori) had two wins today. Fredericks skipped the winning Wellington Centre New Year pair last year and R. Hawortli who skipped the winning New Zealand fours in 193G and 1937, sliowed good form.

At the Petone green, tlie Karo.ri pair R. W. Cox and J. H. Wyatt (runner-up in tlie open singies in Wellington last mont'h) lost oue life in a close game with W. Ure and H. Bockett (Auckland) and the other to A. Elnis and A. (Simmonds (Wairea). W. R. Wenham (Feilding), who was third in the open tournament in New Plymouth iast month, sKipped L. H. Rodgers to two -wins. L. W. Beslev (New Brighton) wlio skipped the runner-up four in 1941, iost a life to B. JafL'ares (Avon, Stratford).

An interesting pair were the Bennetts, father and son, of Hastings. W. D. Bennett (Levin) won the national singies in 1938. However, they lost a life today. In the B sections which were played in the afternoon, the standard of bowls was as high as in the morniug when A sections played and J. F. Benson (Balmoral) who played Number 3 in the 1939 New Zealand champion - four, maintained his form with ]two wins on the Eastbourne green, tliough A. H. Parsons ("Woburn) puslied him closel,y 20-19. H. L. Brighting (Hutt) who has a gold medal for five centre honours, has MacDonald for lead and appears to be striking form. Both ,T. H. Turnbull and his leaYl A. A. Wilson (Hataitai) have good repuftions which they inaintained 011 thp- Hutt- gfeen this afternoon.