BOWLS Twelve Fours Unbeaten In Christmas Fours Tournament

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28161, 27 December 1956, Page 12

BOWLS Twelve Fours Unbeaten In Christmas Fours Tournament

The Christchurch bowling centre’s annual Christmas fours tournament began in excellent conditions yesterday, but before the first game was half through a strong wind got up, and continued throughout the day. This made accurate drawing rather difficult.

The greens varied considerably. The Fendalton green was exceptionally fast, whereas the Canterbury green was holding and the bowls had to be pushed up. The other greens were in some cases fast, but not as fast as Fendalton. There were changes of fortune in the second half of the first game when many fours, who were almost certain of defeat, were able to handle the windy conditions better than their opponents and won by small margins.

There were two surprises in the first round. J. C. Stapleton (Beckenham), the winner of this tournament year, beaten 20-15 by R. J. Bowman (Woolston). C. Rowe (Opawa), who was runner-up to Stapleton last year, was trounced 26-5 by G. Craig <Sheffield). C. Spearman (R.S.A.) was not playing like the Spearman of a few years ago and went down in the first round 24-19 to A. L. Taylor (Christchurch). Spearman was not getting much support from his team, but his own play was rather mediocre, and he played shots that should not have been played by a bowler of his experience.

Another surprise was that F. White (Runanga), who has skipped a winning four in a Dominion tournament, failed to win one game. Rowe, after his big loss in the first round, made amends in the next two rounds by winning by comfortable margins, as did Stapleton.

Excellent Shot F. Haworth (Beckenham), who won his three games, played excellent bowls and his best shot of the day was perhaps the one when he was playing, E. A. Williamson (Shirley). On the nineteenth head, when the scores were level 17-17, Howarth was one down on the head when he had his last bowl to play. Being doubtful what to do, he came down to examine the head and then elected to play a running shot to remove the shot bowl. This shot was indeed a difficult one, as he had little space to get through and could, had he been a little narrow, have removed his own bowl and gone down. But he was the master of the bowl and played a perfect shot to change the head to two in his favour. This was the winning shot of the game, as only one more head could be played before the time limit was up. On this head he gained one shot to win, 20-17.

Conditions were the best for bowling in the concluding stages of the last games of the day. but as many fours were well down, they conceded the games well before the time limit was up. Most of the greens became faster in the afternoon and lhe heads were taking longer to play.

No I mosses At the end of the first day’s play there were only 12 fours who had gone through without loss. These were Haworth (Beckenham), Taylor (Christchurch), Roberts (Fendalton). Chamberlain (Canterbury), Rennie (Fendalton), Vinten (St Albans), Murray (South Brighton). Mottram (St. Albans), Barriball (Fendalton). Morris (Elmwood), Bennett (Linwood) and Bowman (Woolston). A further three rounds of section play will be played today, and another two on Friday morning. The qualifiers will begin post-section play in the afternoon. The results were:— SECTION A Elmwood Green First Round. —S. Stanton (Woolston) 27, E. F. Codyre (Sumner) 19; F. Haworth (Beckenham) 20, E. A. Williamson (Shirley) 17: A. L. Taylor (Christchurch) 24, C. Spearman (R.S.A.) 19; H. H. Hey (Opawa) 29. D Syme (Mona Vale) 19; P. C. Jones iFendalton) 16. G. T. Beddis 15; W. L Bell (St. Albans) 29. L. Newton (Dallington) 16; A. C. Argyle (Ashburton) 22, C. F. Ashton (Canterbury) 20. Second Round.—Haworth 18. Spearman 11; Ashton 19, Codyre 18; Hey , 22. Bell 18; Taylor 25, Beddis 17. Newton 21. Stanton 15; Jones 33, Argyle 9: Syme 24. Williamson 12. Third Round.—Newton 24, Williamson 8; Taylor 20, Jones 7; Spearman 22 Stanton 13; Bell 24. Beddis 7; Syme 20, Argyle 8; Haworth 26, Ashton 14; Codyre 17, Hey 10. SECTION B Fendalton Green I First Round.—W. Skelton (Sydenham) 28, R. Sarney (Canterbury) 14; ■A. -. Cain (Christchurch W.M.C.) 26, W. Smith (St. Albans) 8; W. S. Roberts (Fendalton) 21, F. White (Runanga) 16; J. G. Telfer (Riccarton) 21, E. Miles (Kaiapoi) 14; C. Tregoning (Awamoa, Oamaru) 24, H. Dailey (Shirley) 23;-C. Pease (Woolston > 21, J. C. Snow (Mona Vale) 15; R. Madsen (Opawa) 18, T.. H. (Beckenham) 17. Second Round.—Smith 24, White 16; Snow 29, Sarney 5; Tregoning 20. Miles 18: Roberts 36, R. Madsen 9; 1 Dallev 24. Skelton 16; Pease 21, Watts 13; Cain 28, Telfer 12. Third Round.—Madsen 25, Tregon-

ing 19; Telfer 20, Pease 14; Dailey 20. Cain 9; Skelton 25, White 19; Miles 23, Sarney 12; Snow 21, Smith 12; Roberts 20, Watts 19. SECTION C R.S.A. Green First Round.| —J. Chamberlain (Canterbury) 22, S. Lorking (Beckenham) 20; H. P. Rennie (Fendalton) 27, J. C. Butler (Riccarton) 15; R. Vinten (St. Albans) 18, M. Lawson (Sydenham) 14; J. P. Mulligan (Mona Vale) 20, L. E. Hughes (Kaiapoi W.M.C.) 15; D. Robertson (Shirley) 24, H. H. Giobons (Barrington) 13; K. Murray (South Brighton) 22, S. Kruse (Papanui) 14. Second Round.—Rennie 29, Lawson 9; Vinten 27, Robertson 12; Lorking 25, Kruse 20; Chamberlain 26, Gibbons 12; Murray 19, Hughes 12; Mulligan 24, Butler 9. Third Round.—Vinten 29, Hughes 28; Murray 22, Mulligan 19; Gibbons 19, Butler 11; Rennie 23, Kruse 10; Chamberlain 22, Lawson 16; Lorking 30, Robertson 12. SECTION D United Green First Round.—R. Fisher (Kaiapoi W.M.C.) 25, R. Kinzett (Spreydon) 22; C. Madsen (Cashmere) 30, E. J. Woolf (Mona Vale) 11; A. Blakeway (Barrington) 19, T. O. Chinnery (Edgeware) 16; G. Croat (Beckenham) 24, T. F. Smee (Fendalton) 23; F. J. Mottram (St. Albans) 22, A. D. Smith (Sydenham; 21; W. Tullett (Papanui) 25, H. E. Taylor (South Brighton) 14. Second Round.—Blakeway 23, Woolf 22; Smith 21, Chinnery 20; Fisher 24, Tullett 14; Mottram 28, Kinzett 15; Taylor 24, Croat 17; Smee 21. Madsen 17. Third Round. —Chinnery 28, Croat 13; Smee 21, Taylor 17; Mottram 14, Madsen 12; Woolf 22, Tullett 11; Kinzett 17, Blakeway 16; Smith 24, Fisher 15. SECTION E Beckenham Green First Round.—E. Elwood (R.S.A.) 33, E. Truesdale (Woolston) 10; J. L. Barriball (Fendalton) 24, V. A. Jackson (Cashmere) 17; G. Craig (Sheffield) 26, C. Rowe (Opawa) 5; V. V. Gallagher (United) 26, J. P. Plummer Linwood) 12; H. Deavoll Belfast) 21, E. K. Little* Beckenham) 20; C. M. Morris (Elmwood) 18, G. Williams (St. Albans) 17. Second Round.—Jackson 22, Craig 10; Rowe 23, Deavoll 12; Morris 24, Truesdale 12; Elwood 30, Little 7; Plummer 19, Williams 18; Barriball 19, Gallagher 17. Third Round.—Rowe 30, Plummer 12; Williams 17, Gallagher 16; Barriball 14, Little 13; Morris 25, Jackson 10; Craig 23, Elwood 17; Deavoll 27, Truesdale 18. SECTION F Canterbury Green First Round.—G. E. Bennett (Linwood) 17, R. LiUham (Canterbury) 15; E. Fox (R.S.A.) 20, S. Perry (St. Albans) 15; G. Orchard (Christchurch) 19, R. Jones (Opawa) 18; R. J. Bowman (Woolston) 20, J. C. Stapleton (Beckenham) 15; A. Gray (Elmwood) 21, W. E. Fantham (Sheffield) 16; K. A. Donaldson (United) 23, J. W. Earl (Hawarden) 19 Second Round.—Perry 20, Orchard 8; Fantham 19, Jones 18; Bennett 18, Donaldson 17; Gray 25, Lulham 14; Stapleton 32, Earl 13; Bowman 21, Fox 20. T Third Round.—Stapleton 19, Jones 10; Bowman 24, Earl 8; Fox 33, Gray 16; Perry 24, Donaldson 22; Lulham 24, Orchard 15; Bennett 20, Fantham 16*.