BOWLS Rabone, Singles Title-Holder, Suffers Defeat

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29715, 8 January 1962, Page 8

BOWLS Rabone, Singles Title-Holder, Suffers Defeat

After six days’ play in the New Zealand bowling tournament some order can now be seen in the singles and pairs championships. Twenty important matches among one and two-lifers were played on Saturday and with the elimination of several aspirants to the titles choosing the winners has become much easier.

Certainly the defeat of the singles titleholder, J. H. Rabone (Auckland), a one-lifer, by the consistent R. McDonald (Onehunga), the only two-lifer left in the championship, suggests that McDonald has taken a step in the right direction. But he has yet some formidable obstacles, in the shape of A. Govorko and T. W. J. Barron, to overcome on the way.

The game between Rabone and McDonald proved most of all that here were two very fine bowlers and sportsmen. The difference in play was slight and luck, which is often present in fairly large portions in bowls, rarely reared its exasperating head. When it did, it somehow contrived to be evenly divided. In the pairs, too, it was a battle of giants and when the dust—or rather, water—had settled, only one-lifers remained and then usually only by the skin of their teeth. The rinks for the early games were in a poor condition for bowling. Heavy overnight rain had completely soaked the green and if the seagulls failed to settle for a short rest it was because the spectators, who crammed every vantage point, refused to concede an inch of space.

Mr Yugovich (Beckenham), who began the day with two lives, had the misfortune to meet the Crowley brothers, of Gisborne, in the first round. With only one life the Crowley's could not afford to lose another under penalty of elimination and this persuasive factor must have played a large part in steeling the Crowley arms at the crucial stages.

The Crowley’s, as might be expected of former fours champions, began well and were seven up at the fourth head, but six heads later, with the assistance of a remarkable four, the Beckenham pair were one in the lead. And so the game seesawed back and forth until the twentieth end when the Crowley’s had an advantage of one. The one became two on the last end and for Yugovich it meant a harder fight to reach the finals. \

W P. O’Neil (Carlton), J. B. Rennie (Christchurch). J. Townsend < Frankton Junction) and McDonald (Onehunga), all one lifers, came through their first games successfully, McDonald by virtue of a bye. And if these games were not tough enough the subsequent matchings called for and produced the best in each pair. O'Neil met the Crowley’s. Rennie met Townsend, and McDonald drew Yugovich. There was some magnificent bowling in the O'Neil-Crow-ley match and the successive heads could have been covered with a sack. The leads, G. Gifford and E. H. Crowley. played their parts exceedingly well and advised and obeyed the instructions of the skips as inconspicuously as possible. Special Teamwork The pairs, as in any team game, calls for teamwork, but teamwork of a special kind. The skip instructs hia lead to play a type of game that is demanded by the state of the team’s fortune* and the individual often has to suppress his instincts to play a different shot. Some of the exchanges between skips and leads have been very interesting and but for the distance of some 100 feet or so separating them, one could be excused for feeling that the offering and rejecting of advice might lead to blows. But not so with Gifford and Crowley. Their play was excellent. At the sixteenth head in this game, the score was level. 13-all. but whereas in the next five heads the Crowleys could only raise another point. O'Neil and Gifford scored five to win. 18-14. The clash between McDonald and Yugovich also had its great moments, but some of the heads would have required more than a sack to cover the bowls. More likely a big, four-porter blanket might have done the trick for some of the deliveries, more especially F. Livingstone’s on the long ends, were very short riiere were many fine drawing shots by McDonald and J. Gibson, lead for Yugovich, and Yugovich himself, who played the villain of the piece when he consistently drove the head, produced some accurate running shots McDonald began well and before th* spectators had squeezed themselves into position he was six up after three heads. At the ninth McDonald led. 10-3. and things at that stage looked black for the Beckenham pair. But two two's, a single and a three in the next five heads to Yugovich changed the complexion ot the game. McDonald had not been idle either and a two gave him a lead of 12 to 11 at the 14th end. Things looked interesting. as indeed they would have remained if Yugovich's up-shots had had a little more luck riding with them. As it was. three successive two's to the Onehunga pair more or less decided matters and noth withstanding four in the last two ends to Yugovich, McDonald won. 19-16. Full-blooded Drives

In the other pairs matches Govorko and his lead. A. T. Duley, could not match the Christchurch pair. K. R. Smith and J. B. Rennie, and in spite of some full-blooded drives by Govorko. went down 34-18. J. Townsend (Frankton Junction) then fhet J. R. Gillespie (Ki* Toe. South Canterbury). Gillesp.e and his lead, G. Hartley,

led, 14-5. on the eighth head, but from then on Townsend and R. T. Carruthers picked up the points until the score was level, 19-a!l, on the seventeenth head. Townsend through better drawing, put paid to any chance Kia Toa had by scoring three with only one head to play to win, 23-21. When Townsend met Rennie there was little between the teams, as might be expected and well placed heads succeeded one another rapidly. Rennie was most effective with his forcing shots and Townsend, after being down three with three heads to play, levelled the score, 14-all, on the second to last head. Rennie had the final say, however, and a very good match ended with Rennie 15 and Townsend 14. The Rabone - McDonald singles match was what the crowd had been waiting for in the afternoon and they were not disappointed. Someone later described the encounter as better than a Ranfurly Shield match and if there was an absence of prolonged cheer* and boo* from the crowd there were at least some very dignified sighs, groans and applause, which would be about the nearest thing to a riot in bowls.

McDonald was 5-1 after three heads, but in the next seven he failed to score, while Rabone, playing superb drawing shots, scored 12, all well earned. That made it 13-5 in Rabone's favour and from then on the game was interesting.

McDonald scored a two. a single and a three in the next four heads and Rabone. struggling a little, managed a single. Then Rabone scored a fine three on the fifteenth head for a six-point lead. Last Points It was the champion's last points of th* game, however, try as he might. McDonald scored five in the next three ends and to keep the score to reasonable proportions Rabone twice killed the head with blows that sent the bowls in all directions. But it was only a delaying manoeuvre. McDonald scored four on th* last three heads to win, 20-17 Earlier, the singles match between McDonald and Barclay—at that time the only remaining two-lifers—proved to be one of the finest encounters of the tournament so far, a wet green notwiths and wig. The drawing of both men was superb and it was common place for the shot bowl to be displaced three times in a head by this means. The playing of the eleventh head was a good example of the finesse displayed by the two contestants. After both men had played three bowls Barclay held two shots, but McDonald's last bowl slipped through a narrow port no more than a bowl and a half in width and cane to rest sin from the kitty for the shot. Unperturbed. Barclay judged the path and pace of his last bowl expertly, McDonald's shot bowl being nudged away for Barclay to gain two points. Accurate Drawing For accuracy of drawing, the Whakatane headmaster was the equal of McDonald and. by gaining a alight edge m the succession of tight heads that marked the game, held the lead, from the first to the 17th ends. Af’er 11 ends the score was 13-5 in Barclay's favour, but McDonald narrowed the gap until, on the 18th head, h* gained a "toucher” with his last bowl to add to the two shots he had already drawn to within 9in of the kitty. These three points gave him the lead for the first time and although Barclay was again in front after the 20th head. McDonald proved the better man in the keenlydisputed final end to gain two points and take the match. 20-19.

In his later match against L. P. Burgess (Wellington) Barclay trailed from the seventh to the seventeenth head when the score was levelled. 10-all. His form fell off slightly in the final stages and Burgess took two successive three's to win. 16-11. Barclay had thus lost both lives, but his was a fighting innings. Two of the moat colourful players at the tournament, A. Govorko (Rotorua) and H. Deavoll (Sydenham), met in a 10th-round singles match

which came fully up to expectations. Deavoll, a notable Canterbury Rugby representative of the mid-thirties, bowled with the determination formerly associated with his appearances at Lancaster Park, and by eleven ends held a 13-7 lead. Govorko, whose attempts to drive Deavoll off the kitty had brought little success, then turned to steady drawing. The Sydenham man continued to hold the lead until the 15th end but Govorko’* achievement in gaining four, two and three shots in the next few ends gave him a match - winning break and Deavoll conceded the game when down six point* after 20 heads. “A good loser, a fine sportsman, and a pleasure to play with,” was Govorko’* assessment of his opponent after the match. OUTPLAYED EARLY G. Gifford is a very fine drawing player, but in his singles match against E. N. Bromley (Christchurch) he found himself outplayed in the early stages. By the twelfth head Gifford was down. 13-7. and this must have inspired him to play those shots of which he is capable. He drew three fine allots on the seventeenth head to draw level, 15-all, but Bromley again pulled ahead and was two up with the last head to play. Gifford's failure to draw on hia last bowl coat him the game and Bromley, who had played really good bowls, took three shots and the game, 21-I*. Bromley then fell before Govorko in a duel of drawing in the twilight. Both men were in grand form and the many tight heads bore testimony to their accuracy. Govorko proved the stronger bowler in the last few ends to win, 20-I*. One competitor who ran true to form was H. H. J. Robson (Mankakino). who played both L. P. Burgess (Wellington) and T. W. J. Barron (Miramar) in the singles championship for the second time in two days. As on Friday. Robson again beat Burgess comfortably and

lost to Barron, thus departing from singles play. He was the third last two-lifer in the championship. Seven minutes* playing time was lost in the Robson v. Burgess match over the measuring of the third shot on the 10th head. After the marker and both players had measured the distance* between toe kitty and toe two bowls, the umpire was called for, but some little time elapsed bijor* this official. Mr D. Dickson, ranched to* green, to be greeted by an ironical cheer from the crowd. He gave hi* decision in favour of Burgess and toe players reaumed, no doubt refreshed through toe Impromptu adjournment. Results:—

Round Eleven.—One-lifers: E. H. Crowley, G. A. Crowtey (Gisborne) 19, J. Gibson, M. Yugovich), two-lifers, IT; G. Gifford, W. P. O’Neil (Carlton) IS. W. S. Cowie. G. H. Jolly (Leith), 12; K. R. Smith, J. B. Rennie (Christchurch) 24, A. T. Duley, A. Govorko (Rotorua) 18; R. T. Carruthers, J. Townsand (Frankton Junction) 23, G. Hartley, J. R. Gillespie (Kia Toa, South Canterbury) 21; F. Livingstone R. McDonald (Onehunga), • bye. Round Twelve.—One-lifers: O’Neil 18. Crowley 14: Rennie 15. Townsend 14; McDonald 19, Yugovich 18.

Ninth Round.—One-lifers: A. Govorko (Rotorua) 21, H. Deavoll (Sydenham) 15; R. McDonald (Onehunga) two-Ilfer, 20, N. E. W. Barclay (Whakatane) one-lifer 19. Tenth Round.—One-lifers: J. H. Rabone (Auckland) 20. I. Antitich (New Brighton) 14; E. N. Bromley (Christchurch) 21, G. Gifford (Carlton) 16: L. P. Burgess (Wellington) 16. Barclay 11, Eleventh Round. —One-lifers: T. W. Dixon (South Brighton) 21, C. Nola (Oratia) 6; Rabone It, W. Peart (West End, Auckland) 11; Govorko 20, Bromley 18; H. H. J. Robson (Mangakino) 18, Burgess 12: A. C. Kirkham (Carlton) 18. W. E. Barron (Balclutha) 17; R. H. Cowles (Ashbury: 19. C. H. Good (Allenton) 16. Twelfth Round—One-lifers: McDonald (two-lifer) 20. Rabone 17: R. H. Cowles (Ashbury) 19, Kirkham 14; T. W. J. Barron (Miramar) 17, Robson 12.