BOWLS Opawa And Woolston For Final Of Women’s Pairs

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28523, 28 February 1958, Page 5

BOWLS Opawa And Woolston For Final Of Women’s Pairs

Finalists for the Christchurch women’s champion of champion pairs title will be Mesdames Williams and Priest (Opawa) and Ballantyne and McKenzie (Woolston). There were almost perfect conditions for the first day of the tournament at the St. Albans green yesterday. The green was fast and true and many players in the first round had difficulty in finding their weight and green.

Twenty pairs were entered and at the end of four rounds they were reduced to finalists. The final will be played on the St. Albans green this afternoon. Players, especially skips, took too long to score. Some skips stood on the mat looking at the head for a considerable time before playing, and then played the shot directed by their leads. The games did not finish until nearly 8 p.m. Only four pairs played in the first round. The rest had byes. Three of the first-round games were runaway victories, but the game between Mrs Priest (Opawa) and Mrs Foster (R.S.A.) was very keenly contested, especially in the second half. Opawa went away to a grand lead of 8-0 on the fifth head, but R.S.A. recovered to lead 9-8. Opawa was in front at 18-13, with three heads left to play. Three to R.S.A on the next head bridged the gap a little, but a single on the next head to Opawa left it with a lead of three, with one head left to play. R.S.A. bowled well on this head, but could only manage to get two shots, and lost the game, 18-19.

Mrs McKenzie (Woolston) met Mrs McDonald (Beckenham), who has won every other tournament but the pairs. Woolston led for the first time, 19-16. Requiring three to tie on the last head, Beckenham was kept down to one, and lost, 17-19. A very fine player from Rakaia, Mrs McCoy, had a good lead over Mrs Chapple (Kaiapoi) over the first half of the game, when she led, 14-8, and in this she scored a five. Kaiapoi brought the score level on the twentieth head, but on the last head Rakaia took a single to win, 18-17. In the third round, Mrs McCoy met a very formidable opponent, Mrs Priest, and had a very difficult task in the second half of the game. With her lead she. staged a brilliant recovery, only to lose by one point. With Opawa leading 21-16, it appeared as if the game was all over, but Rakaia scored a four and a two, to take the lead for the first time at 22r21. With two heads left to play, Rakaia was in a good position, but on the next head failed badly and let Opawa take a five to go into the lead, 26-22. On the last head Rakaia again recovered, but requiring four to tie it got three shots and went down, 25-26. There was little interest in the semi-finals, and it was obvious that the strain of playing four games in one day was telling on the players. The winning skips, Mesdames McKenzie and - Priest, have won the champion of champion pairs before, but Mrs Priest was playing lead when she won. Both semi-finals finished in near darkness. Results were:— First Round. —Mrs Boote (Riccar-. ton) 25, Mrs Tatam (Christchurch) 14; Mrs Gow (Spreydon) 32, Mrs Joblin (South Brighton) 5; Mrs Dailey (Shirley) 27, Miss Webster (St. Albans) 12; Mrs Priest (Opawa) 19. Mrs Foster (R.S.A.) 18. Byes: Mesdames Davis (Rangiora), Russell (Sydenham), Snedden (Linwood), Neilson (Burwood), McKenzie (Woolston), McDonald (Beckenham), Chapple (Kaiapoi). McCoy (Rakaia), Bromley (United), Cassidy (Belfast), Snow (Mona Vale), and Merrick (Redcliffs).

Second Round.—Mrs Davis 18, Mrs Russell 17; Mrs Snedden 21. Mrs Neilson 18; Mrs McKenzie 19, Mrs McDonald 17; Mrs Gow 22, Mrs Boote 18; Mrs Priest 21, Mrs Dailey 15; Mrs McCoy 18, Mrs Chapple 17; Mrs Bromley 24, Mrs Cassidy 17; Mrs Merrick 20, Mrs Snow 19. Third Round.—Mrs Snedden 28. Mrs Davis 20; Mrs McKenzie 18, Mrs Gow 13; Mrs Priest 26, Mrs McCoy 25; Mrs Merrick 24, Mrs Bromley 22.

Semi-finais. Mesdames Williams and Priest 22, Mesdames Taylor and Merrick 18; Mesdames Ballantyne and McKenzie 21, Mesdames Weaver and Snedden 13.

N.Z. Leads In Railways’ Tournament

(New Zealana Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 27. On points, New Zealand leads in the Australian and New Zealand railway institutes’ bowling test series, with two matches to play. Test match points (aggregate scores) are:—New Zealand 659, Queensland 495, Victoria 493, New South Wales 492, Western Australia 443, South Australia 428, Commonwealth 397. Tasmania 344.