BOWLS SINGLES TITLE

Marlborough Express, Volume 87, Issue 19, 23 January 1952, Page 2

BOWLS SINGLES TITLE

F. Livingstone's Win UNSPECTACULAR GAME

P.A.

DUNEDIN, Jan. 22.

F. Livingstone (Otahuhu) won his second New Zealand singles bowls title today when he beat G. A. James (Central, Cambridge), 17-14. Livingstone won his first title at Christchurch in 1936. Livingstone entered the final with both lives intact, wherens James had one life. In effect this meant that James, who has been one of the most successful bowlers in the tournament, would have to beat Livingstone

twice to wm the title. On the other hand, in the 37 games played before the final, Livingstone had received only two reverses, once in the fours semi-final and once in the pairs. James is a young bowler who has been playing only six years, but experienced judges, and Livingstone is .among them,. predict that the. singles title will not elude him for long. He has a fine temperament and, as he showed today the fighting spirit without which championships cannot be won. Both finalists drew equally well, but the more experienced Livingstone made better use of the opportunities that offered of playing off his own and his opponent's bowls.

This repeatedly deprived James of the initial advantage that had accrued to him. The game throughout was interesting, though not spectacular. James preferred long ends and Livingstone, while in general showing a choice for a somewhat shorter length, shrewdly varied them. The players took only a couple of bowls to settle down before a gallery of spectators approaching 1000. The green was fast and keen and there was almost an entire absence of wind.

PAIRS COMPETTTION Play was resumed in the pairs eompetition at the Kaituna Green today when the 11th and 12th round matches were played. S. Vella and F. Livingstone (Onehunga) played in both rounds, and in the morning defeated J. Kerr and S. Thomas (Ohakune) by a margin of 22 to 15 in an interesting, if not spectacular game. In the afternoon, by reason of the morning 's victory, the Onehunga A pairs were matched against W. H. ! Barton and W. D. Bennett (Hastings), and this was anybody's game on the last end. However, a shot on the 21st made Vella and Livingstone the winners by 19-16. They will go into the finals with the only twolifers left in the pairs, R. K. Aitchison and E. H. Havenwood (North East Valley).