BOWLS West port Woman Wins Singles At N.Z. Tourney

Press, Volume C, Issue 29444, 21 February 1961, Page 5

BOWLS West port Woman Wins Singles At N.Z. Tourney

(Neto Zeatantt Press Association)

DUNEDIN, February 20. Giving an outstanding exhibition of consistent drawing, Mrs M. Butts (Buller R.S.A.) scored a well-merited win in the final of the singles championship at the New Zealand women’s bowling tournament today. Mrs Butts was competing in her first Dominion tournament, although she has been playing for 14 years. In the final she beat Mrs S. Winstanley (Marewa), 22-15 after both had given a brilliant exhibition. Among the crowd who watched the final on the Otago women’s headquarters green was Mrs Butts’s husband, who had driven 401 miles from Westport to see his wife win her semi-final. Apart from having previously been a finalist Mrs Winstanley has been in two champion fours and three champion pairs. She played well today, but she could not match the consistent Buller player. Mrs Butts plays bowls four afternoons a week, which she agrees is more than other women in her area. She played most of her bowls at Karoro (West Coast) before shifting to Westport, where she has won the champion of champions singles. Both the pair and the four she was playing in at the tournament qualified for post-sectional play. Winner’s Early Lead The final was played in brilliantly fine conditions, with the greens in excellent order. Mrs Winstanley was first to score, but when she was outdrawn for 3 at the second she was down 1-3. Mrs Butts took 2’s at three of the next four ends to lead 9-4 at the seventh. At the eighth Mrs Winstanley struck form when she drew two excellent bowls beside the jack to make the score 9-6. A.t the ninth there was an incident which was to become frequent in the remaining ends, when Mrs Winstaniey’s bowl, resting against the jack, was removed by Mrs Butts, whose own bowl became the shot.

Mrs Winstanley had two more excellent draws at the eleventh, but Mrs Butts took out the shot bowl and moved the jack to give herself 3. Mrs Winstanley was well on to the jack at the twelfth, and with her opponent short she took two shots to be down 8-14. At the next Mrs Butts again took Mrs Winstaniey’s shot bowl and trailed the jack to her own back bowls to score 3. Her ability to be right into the head was paying dividends for Mrs Butts, and when she scored singles at the next three ends she was in front 20-8. Mrs Winstanley, however, was still showing good form with her drawing, which paid dividends at the eighteenth, where she scored a 3. Mrs Butts was lying 2 when Mrs Winstanley tried a running shot on the nineteenth. This was not successful. Mrs Winstanley won the last two ends after compact heads, but Mrs Butts was sufficiently close with her deliveries to prevent an upset and won 22-15. Morning Games The finalists had both taken lives from Mrs A. Hamblyn (Riverside) in the morning. Mrs Hamblyn, the 1958 champion, was the only two-lifer at the start of play today, but was eliminated in the two games. Mrs Butts beat Mrs A. Whale (Mornington), who gave her a great fight before going down 15-17. Mrs Butts was down 4-12 at the tenth, and although she made a recovery was still 10-14 down at the! sixteenth. A 3 at the nineteenth was the vital score for Mrs Butts, who went on to win by the narrowest of margins. Results were:— Fifth Round.—Mrs S. Winstanley (Marewa) 30. Mrs A. Hamblyn (Riverside) 10; Mrs M. Butts (Buller R.S.A.) 17, Mrs A. Whale (Mornington) 15. Semi-finals.—Mrs Butts IS. Mrs Hamblyn 9: Mrs Winstanley a bye. Final.—Mrs Butts Z 3. Mrs Winstanley 15.