BOWLS SINGLES TITLE TO BARRON

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29723, 17 January 1962, Page 3

BOWLS SINGLES TITLE TO BARRON

Marlborough Wins Fours

T. W. J. Barron (Miramar) reached the zenith of a distinguished career in bowling when he beat R. McDonald (Onehunga), 18-11, in the final of the singles championship at the New Zealand bowling tournament yesterday. The Marlborough four, skipped by R. Brown, won the final of the fours championship.

It was Barron’s first national title, but it was not for want of trying. He has been playing bowls for many years and in addition to representing New Zealand at the Empire Games at Cardiff he has eight Wellington centre titles to his credit.

He played his first game when, he was 10 at Benhar, South Otago, his birthplace, and at 17 he was transferred north and Dor about 20 years he forsook the game. The lapse appear* to have made no difference to his play for when he resumed in 1946 he quickly found his odd skills, and three years later he won the Wellington open singles title. Since then he has gone from strength to strength and in his semi-final against McDonald on Monday he made it plain that he was the man to beat for the title. McDonald was more confident yesterday, but Barron’s accuracy arid determination were the two insurmountable objects in McDonald's path to victory. The game resolved itself into a struggle between two of the best four-bowl players in the Dominion and on the day Barron was definitely superior. Started Well

Barron, as in his previous game with McDonald, started well with a three. Barron took the shot from McDonald in the next head when the latter held two, but McDonald’s last bowl nudged Barron off for a single. McDonald took the next end as well, again with a single. The fourth head was a dose one. the alternate bowls disputing the shot position: Barron’s last two deliveries were superb and he claimed two and a lead, 5-2. Tile next two ends went to McDonald, with two and a single and the score was level, 5-all. Neither player would concede an inch in the next few heads and there was a succession of bowls which claimed shot position. Barron always had the last say. however, and three singles on the seventh, eighth and ninth ends gave him a valuable three-point lead. Then it was McDonald’s turn; he worn the next three ends with « single each time. The bowling at this stage was often magnificent and on the twelfth end Barron, with his last bowl and a fairly big count a gainst him, rolled with a little more power than usual and his bowl took McDonald’s off and reduced the score to a single against him. Barron in Command From the thirteenth to the seventeenth ends Barron was in command and four two’s

and a single gave him a lead of 17 to 8. In these ends McDonald often drew the shot with some nicely-judged deliveries, but Barron always produced a more telling blow, often with his last bowl. It was his final effort on the thirteenth which gave him two when things looked hopeless for him. McDonald, in turn, was sometimes harshly dealt with by fate and one or two of his running shots,

which might have given him more confidence had they succeeded, missed their targets by a hairs-breadth. McDonald claimed two on the long eighteenth end, which placed him only seven behind and on the nineteenth he held three and what appeared to be a grand chance to recover. However, Barron, as he did so often and well, sent down a beautiful last delivery and drew the shot. It was an attractive piece of work and certainly a dash to McDonald’s hopes.

On the twentieth end, which was the last, McDonald took a single, but the position was hopeless by then and Barron won the game and the title, 18-11.