BOWLS Rain Interrupts Games in N.Z. Fours Tourney

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28792, 13 January 1959, Page 10

BOWLS Rain Interrupts Games in N.Z. Fours Tourney

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, January 12.

Rain interrupted play in the New Zealand bowling championships in Wellington today, for the first time since the tourney opened on December 31. Bowlers in the fours scampered into the pavilions at the Wellington and Kelburn clubs shortly after the start of the fourth round this afternoon.

Fourth-round fours matches will be continued tomorrow morning. Points won before the rain this afternoon will count.

The third round of the fours was completed over 21 ends in overcast conditions this morning; and a two-lifer, H. J. Thompson (Whitiora), reached the final of -the pairs.

Thompson beat a one-lifer, R. Graham (Johnsonville), 18-17, on the last and twenty-first head. He led almost consistently till Graham, 15-17 at the nineteenth, evened the scores at the twentieth. Before that Thompson had lost the lead only once—at 14-15 on the sixteenth head. In the final Thompson will meet the winner of the match between W P O’Neill (Carlton) and the winner of the match between R. S. Gray (Wanganui East) and C. J. Green (Takaro). 16 Teams in Fours The fours tournament was reduced to 16 teams after thirdround play on extremely heavy greens this morning. J. H. Rabone (Auckland), a former national singles champion, beat M. R. Buehan (Tui Park). 17-14. in the third round. Rabone let Buchan get to 11-12 at the sixteenth head, but played consistently to win. Unbeaten in section play, F. Hofen (Johnsonville) was eliminated from post-section play by J. T. Harrison (Epsom), in spite of a last-minute bid for victory. Harrison won 24-21. The Auckland four began with a five, and scored six on the ninth end. Harrison led 21-19 after .18 ends—Hofen had replied to Harrison’s six with a five and a three—and Hofen, needing a five on the last end to tie, had to be content with a two. W. H. Hampton (Naenae). was heavily beaten by E. H. Ravenwood (North-east. Valley). Hampton lost 18-26 after being behind 6-16 at the ninth end and recovering to 14-17 at the fourteenth. Ravenwood scored five on the fifteenth end to go to 22-14. K. H. Batt (Levin) appears another possibility for the title. He helped to eliminate a strong Carlton team led by W. A. O’Neill. Batt won comfortably. 25-10. scoring one five. An Empire Games bowler, J. M Morris'(Hamilton) could not produce recent good form and went down, rather surprisingly, to T. K. Walbran (Mount Albert). 16-25. One of the most exciting matches was between W. J. Langlands (Gisborne) and W. Swinerd (Tauranga South). Swinerd, at one stage 7-13 down, lost by only one point—l 7-18. Swinerd recovered to 16-all at the nineteenth and went to a 17-16 lead on the twentieth, only to see Langlands snatch victory with a two on the last end. T. H. Purdie. (Vogelmorn) made a bid for victory against J. W. Flett (Point Chevalier) after trailing for most of the way Purdie’s four fought to 19-21 from 16-21, but was beaten 24-19. - W. E. .Goodwin (Upper Hutt), fcvho led 15-7 at the eleventh head, ,lost to a Wellington Disabled Servicemen’s four skipped by J. P. Hanley. Hanley fought hard, to score three threes between the eleventh and fourteenth ends. He drew even at 17-all on the seventeenth; Goodwin was unable to match Hanley’s one, tw/>, and three over the last three heads; and lost. 23-17.

J. Telford (Seatoun), who holds the Wellington champion fours title, had an easy victory over A. K. Lees (Rawhiti), 23-14. M A Marinovich (Oratia) scored a clear win over R. Brown (Marlborough) Marinovich never scored consistently, but won 21-14. After holding a 22-15 lead at the seventeenth head, J. Walker (Onehunga) narrowly beat L Walsh (Otaki). 22-21. From the seventeenth Walsh won the next four heads with a three and three singles, to fail at the last end. Though D. Vaughan (Onawa) scored five at the sixteenth. M. J.

Borich (Hamilton) had a 22-18 win. Borich led all the way. The fourth round had not gone far enough to be interesting wjien rain fell. Results of'play in the fours were: Third Round T. H. Purdie (Vogelmorn) 24, J. W Flett (Point Chevalier) 19; J P. Henley (Wellington D.S.A.) 23. W. E. Goodwin (Upper Hutt) 17; J. Telford Seatoun, 23. A, K Lees (Rawhiti) 14; J. H Rabone (Auckland) 17, M. R. Buchan (Tui Park) 14; M. A. Marinovich (Oratia) 21 R Brown (Marlborough) 14; J Walker (Onehunga) 22, L. Walsh (Otaki) 21; M. J Borich (Hamilton) 22. D. Vaughan (Opawa) 18; E. H. Ravenwood (North-east Valley) 26, W. H. Hampton (Naenae) 18; J. T. Harrison (Epsom) 24. F. Hofen (Johnsonville) 21; W. J. Langlands (Gisborne) 18. W. Swinerd (Tauranga South) 17; P. Donaldson (Ponsonby) 14, R. D. O’Dowda (West End) 12: G. H. Jolly (Leith) 19, M. Yugovich (Beckenham) 18 R. T. Hawthorne (Balmoral) 18, N Orange (Balmoral) 17; A. G. Sweetman (Paraparaumu) 15, A. G. Shuttleworth (Akaroa) 13; K. H. Batt (Shannon) 30. W. A. O’Neill (Carlton) 15; T. K. Walbran (Mount Albert) 25. J M. Morris (Hamilton) 16 Fourth Round Marinovich 5. Harrison 2; Walker 8. Ravenwood 2, Hanley 3, Langlands 2: Purdie 6. Telford 3; Borich 7 Rabone 7.