Noted Bowlers To Meet On Monday

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28471, 28 December 1957, Page 5

Noted Bowlers To Meet On Monday

QN Monday morning, after an official welcome has been extended by the Dominion president (Mr S. L. Hall) and the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.), 512 bowlers from North Cape to Bluff' will step on to 32 greens in and around Christchurch to begin the forty-third annual tournament of the New Zealand Bowling Asso- i ciation with the first round of the singles. 1 These 512 players will all play i two games, and at the end of the ; second game, some will have lost • the second of their two lives and ] be eliminated. For the third game, the number will be re- * duced to 384, with 128 still hold- * ing their two lives and the others one life. At the end of the third game, ' play for these players will have finished for the day, and in the afternoon another contingent of 512 will try their skill. At the 1 end of the day there will be 512 1 players remaining with 128 with two lives and 384 clinging desper- ■ ately to their one life. On the 32 greens, both in the morning and afternoon, there will ■ be many players of note, and it ' will be interesting to see how they fare against the lesser-known , players.

Titleholder J. Pirrett, jun. (Tuakau), the present holder of the title and one of New Zealand’s greatest four-bowl players, will be seen at the Beckenham green in the afternoon. At the same green, J. Macklow (Onehunga), a member of the Onehunga winning foui- in 1940 and 1948, will also be in action. , In the morning, at St. Albans, J. H. Rabone (Auckland), the title winner in 1955, will play. H. L. Rule (Christchurch W.M.C.), a grand draw player and member of the winning four from Otahuhu on three occasions, will be seen at the Christchurch green in the morning. Playing on the same green will be M. J. Squire (West End, Taranaki), who is one of New Zealand’s leading players and also a past title holder. E. H. Ravenwood (North East

Valley), a national pairs skip winner on two occasions and a member of the last Empire Games team, will be in action at Christchurch in the afternoon. T. W. J. Barron (Miramar), one of Wellington’s greatest fourbowl players, will be playing at the Riccarton Racecourse in the afternoon. He is a Wellington nominee for the Empire Games. G. H. Jolly (Leith), president of the Dunedin Bowling Centre, will play in the afternoon at Barrington. Jolly is an excellent singles player and an Otago nominee for the next Empire Games.

At Shirley At the Shirley green in the morning there are three players who should be well worth seeing. These are C. H. Wiggins (Carlton), an Auckland nominee for the next Empire Games, H. H. Gibbons (Barrington), a recent Christchurch centre open singles winner, and C. J. Elmes (Andersons Bay). Elmes will be better remembered for his activities on the cricket field, having represented Canterbury, Otago, and New Zealand. The Dallington see the debut of T. T. Skoglund. Skoglund is not frightened to hit the head when it is against him, and it was on this green that Skoglund had his first game in the singles eight years ago.

Draw Player C. D. McGarry (Wellington), one of Christchurch’s leading players only a few years ago, is a grand draw player and he is expected to play well in his games at United in the morning. For those who like to see an unorthodox delivery and a fight to the finish, they are sure of this if they watch C. L. Spearman (Christchurch R.S.A.) when he commences play on the United green in the morning. One of Wellington’s nominees for Empire Games honours, E. C. Budd (Hataitai), will play at Fendalton in the morning. A great deal of interest should centre round the Fendalton green in the afternoon, when R. J. Andrew (Onehunga), the 1954 title ; winner, and W. Freeth (Nelson)

commence play. Freeth was in the dramatic three-game final at Wellington in 1947. S. Snedden (Linwood) has drawn the Fendalton green in the morning for his games. He is a past national title winner and is the only Christchurch player to have won all three local champion of champion titles. A. Connew (Carlton) will not have everything his own way in his games on the Papanui green in the morning. On the Papanui green in the afternoon, three players of note are taking part. They are E. P. Exelby (Frankton Junction), who won the pairs in 1947 and was a member of an Empire Games team, and S. Garelja (Henderson), who skipped the winning pair in 1948. P. C. Skoglund, a very young player who is with the Northern club in Palmerston North, should do well. In his centre he has won every title offering, and his chances are bright

Woolston Green

In the morning at Woolstop, H. Deavoll (Belfast) can be assured of giving a good account of himself. R. E. Pilkirigton (Balmoral), who skipped the winning pair in 1953, will also play here. W. H. Hampton (Nae Nae) is a player who has always figured prominently in national tournaments and is a Wellington nominee for the Empire Games. He is sure to be trying hard to gain his selection as well as annex a title. Jiampton will be at Opawa in the morning. W. P. O'Neill (Carlton) is a player well worth watching, for he has a very fine record to hl, credit He was in the winning four in 1954 and in the same year was runner-up to Andrew in the singles. Like Skoglund, O'Neill is capable of turning on the fireworks when necessary. He will be watched closely as he is an Auckland) nominee for the Empire Games.