Around THE GREENS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30294, 21 November 1963, Page 26

Around THE GREENS

Main fixtures for the week, November 21 to 27 inclusive, are:—Today: Centre bowl testing: all day tournament at Cashmere; electric light tournament at Beckenham. Saturday: Centre pennant, three fours and Robinson Shield matches; all day tournament at Hinds. Sunday: Tournaments at Avon, Canterbury, R.S.A., and South Brighton. Monday: Electric light tournaments at Beckenham and Sydenham. Tuesday: Centre bowl testing; mid-week friendly matches; electric light tournament at Redcliffs. Wednesday: Electric light tournaments at Rangiora and South Brighton.

The veteran bowler, R. Haworth, is still a power to be reckoned with and respected. This was clearly illustrated in the second round of the Canterbury club’s championship fours. Skipping a team consisting of N. Chidgey. W. Tomson, and M. Langford, against opponents led by B. H. Morris, he played well throughout, but he was seen at his best in the final head. Requiring three to win, he drew a magnificent shot with his last bowl and won the game by one point. Haworth has figured prominently in the club’s championships over a long period—he won the singles for the first time in 1917 and he also has New Zealand championship honours, being the winning skip of both the pairs and fours in 1936. * * ¥

Championship games are now well under way at Redcliffs. and in the singles S. Tonkin has reached the third round after two good wins. Skips to have won rinks matches are F. Prangnell, R. Cormack, and R. Page. Last Sunday saw the first of the men’s monthly all-day rinks tournaments, and skip of the winning team was F. McMahon, with M. Thomas second. However, the club reports that it still has vacancies for the all-day tournaments to bring the number up to the full 16.

¥ ¥ ¥ Earlier this month, 32 fours —many of them their club’s teams for the New Zealand championships—took part in an all-day tournament at Opawa. The day was very successful, largely due to the work of the match committee, and the standard of play very high. Three teams, skipped by F. Larcombe, K. Murray, and C. Rowe (all from Opawa) finished the day with four wins, and after a play-off, Rowe’s team ran out the winner. ¥ ¥ ¥

Twenty-four teams took part in the Show Day fours tournament at Shirley on Friday. Bowling conditions were good, and there were many close finishes. C. Manson’s four (Shirley), of B. Benbow (lead), D. Taylor (2), and R. Watson (3), was the only team to win all four games. Teams with three wins were skipped by R. Ward, J. O. Thompson. B. Walker (Shirley), and H. Marshall (Linwood). ¥ ¥ ¥ A rink skipped by C. Austin won the Hampstead club's Walls Cup tournament played over Show week-end. The team, which beat W. Will’s tour. 6-2. in the final, was Austin (skip), K. Fowke, A. Lilley, and A. Stanley. ¥ ¥ ¥

Championship matches are in full swing at the Dallington club and recent results were: L. Newton beat N. Austin. 22-13; M. Briggs beat D J. W. Martin, 19-18; E. J. Greenwood beat F. W. Hughes. 21-20; E. Todd and W. Adamson beat S. A. Joyce an<j R- Pirrie, 21-16; W. Kitehingham and T. Hemingway beat F. Reaby and M. Briggs. 19-17. ¥ ¥ ¥

The life member for the longest period and a member for 25 years, Mr John Gwilym Parry, of St Albans, died during a game of bowls on Saturday. A man described as being of a very genial personality, Mr Parry was president of the club in 1945 and until recent years, was a very active bowler, mostly in midweek tournaments. ¥ ¥ ¥

Three matches were played in the first round of Sumner’s ehampionship singles during the week and resulted in two

former winners losing their first-life. R. S. Rudd defeated G. A. Webb (1959) winner by a comfortable margin, and R. A. Wilkinson (1962) defeated H. Tuck, the present holder, 21-19. after Tuck had established an early lead. An even closer game was between S. W. Wales (1954) and F. W. Squirrell; they were 19-19 on the twentieth, and then Wales drew one on the last end which Squirrell narrowly missed removing, leaving the score 20-19 in Wales's favour. The standard of bowls played in these games was particularly high. ¥ ¥ ¥

The Canterbury club’s champion fours are advancing well, and the following skips have each won two games so far: M. Morrow, G. Craig, E. Paul, W. Cooke, J. Turpin, C. Ashton and R. Haworth. On the other hand, the strong team led by the versatile G. Carnie has suffered a run of bad luck and has won only one of its four games in the rinks. ¥ ¥ ¥

Three teams, skipped by V. Gallagher, I. Andrews, and “Mitch” Mitchell, are representing United in the fours of the New Zealand championships. It will be interesting to see if these teams can repeat the success of 1960 when teams skipped by J. O’Rourke. K. Samms and V. V. Gallagher had eight, seven and six wins respectively in the qualifying rounds of the New Zealand fours.