BOWLS Mona Vale Pair Wins Centre Title

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30687, 1 March 1965, Page 9

BOWLS Mona Vale Pair Wins Centre Title

The Mona Vale champion pair, W. B. Anderson and T. W. Round, won the Christchurch Bowling Centre’s champion-of-champions event when they beat United (H. Stoneman and V. V. Gallagher), 21-14, on the Edgeware green on Saturday.

Three days of play were required to find the centre champions, and when play commenced on Saturday there were eight pairs which had come through unbeaten. Most of the games were fairly even. United in its first game against Papanui (C. Johnson and R. Powell) was trailing over the early stages and was 8-9 down on the ninth head. Tt then took command, to lead 15-9 on the tweflth and win 22-17 with one head unplayed. Elmwood (C. Newburgh and R. Mahalm) had a very easy win over DalUngton (M. Briggs and J. P. Griffin). 22-12. Elmwood led, 10-6, on the tenth end and 16-9 on the fifteenth, and increased its lead over the next five heads. Mona Vale Extended

Mona Vale was extended all the way in its game against Belfast (A. Arps and R. Giles). The scoring over the first 10 heads was fairly even, Mona Vale leading 11-9. Belfast then went into the lead, 14-11, on the thirteenth head. Three heads later Mona Vale evened the score. 14-14. Belfast took over for the next three heads and went to a 17-14 lead with two heads left to play. A two and a single on the next two heads to Mona Vale evened the score on the last head. On the extra head Mona Vale took two shots to win a very exciting game.

Fendalton (E. A. Lee and T. H. P. Rennie) could not make a break on Barrington (A. S. Morris and W. D Sams), and on the tenth head the score was 9-all. Fendalton then took the initiative and over the next four heads scored nine to double its score. On the seventeenth head Fendalton led 20-11, but seven over the next three heads to Barrington brought it within striking distance with one head left to play, but Fendalton took one shot to win 21-18. In the semifinal between Elmwood and United it was United all the way over the first seven heads when it led 10-2, but then came Elmwood's turn, and over the next five won each to be 8-10 down on the twelfth. Elmwood could not bridge the gap, and at the end of the game was still four down, 16-20. Fendalton in the other semi-final was no match for Mona Vale, which led 8-0 on the fifth head and 21-6 on the thirteenth. Fendalton rallied a little over the next six heads and with a five on the nineteenth was 18-24 down.

With two heads left to play Fendalton still had a slight chance, but all hopes were dashed when Mona Vale scored three on the twentieth head to win, 26-18. Uninspiring Final The final was not an inspiring game, the players being in great difficulties with the wind, which at times was exceptionally strong. Bowls from the southern end that could be expected to run into the ditch often were as much as six feet short. Any bowl within two feet of the kitty was a really good one. Had it been a calm day the final would have been a very fine game, for whenever there was a lull in the wind some close drawing was seen.

After winning the first two heads with a single on each, luck went against Mona Vale on the next head. United was holding shot on the kitty, and Round with a firm run took the kitty, but it bumped back on the shot bowl and ran to the side to give United another shot. Gallagher then added a third. United scored on the next head with a single, but Mona Vale equalised with a two on the next head, and with five heads played the score was 4all.

Two heads later the score was again even, at 5-all. Mona Vale took control after Round had with his second bowl drawn a toucher right on the kitty. Long heads were then exploited, and on these Mona Vale nlayed much better than United. It played the wide hand with plenty of swing in, whereas United kept to the narrow hand, which was very difficult as the bowls continued to draw well even against the wind. On the ninth head Anderson was holding shot three feet away, and to this Round added another two to give Mona Vale a lead of 9-5. The next head was disastrous for United. Anderson with his first drew to within six inches behind the kitty and his next was a foot behind. Stoneman tried to break up the head with a drive but pulled his shot and it went wide. Gallacher then tried a drive with his first, but was wide, and with his second drove again and took out his own bowl to go three down. Round then drew a fourth, and in drawing to save with his last Gallagher was very short. On the next head, the eleventh, Mona Vale was holding shot until Gallagher promoted one of his front bowls to take the shot. Round, with a good drive,'took the kitty into the ditch, but his bowl ran to the side and was nuite a distance from the kitty. Gallagher then drew to near the ditch, but on a measure lost the shot. Mona Vale on the next head held the shot two feet from the kitty, and at this stage led 15-5 after 12 heads. United’s luck changed on the next head. Stoneman drew a toucher with his first, but Anderson rested it back for shot, and then Round added another. Gallagher drove, and was very lucky in that his drive, which was wide, hit a front bowl of his arid turned it in to dislodge the shot bowl and remain for shot. Round was heavy with his last, and Gallagher added another to . take two shots. ... . ~ Gallagher now called for a very short head, and on this Mona Vale was having difficulty in finding length. Good draw-

ing by both United players gained two shots. United was again on top on the next head and held three shots until Round ran one out. Stoneman on the next head drew to within two inches of the kitty. Then Round rested it back for shot, only to have Gallagher turn it back and stay on the kitty. Round then tried to run off the shot bowl, but was narrow, and Gallagher drew a second. The leads failed on the next, head, but Gallagher drew to within one inch of the kitty for shot. Kqund was holding second shot and then played a risky one in trying to run off the shot bowl and brought gasps from the spectators and his lead as he nearly took out his own bowl. If It had gone it would have put him four down. United had now won five heads for nine points and was 14-15 down with 17 heads played. Complete Change United, which had been mastering the shot heads very well, lost its chances when Stoneman, in trying to keep to the very short head, failed to throw the kitty the required distance. When Anderson took the kitty he immediately threw it full length. On this head United was all at sea, and Anderson drew two good shots, to which Round added another two. On the next two heads, which were also full-length ones, Mona Vale took a single on each, and here the game ended, in Mona Vale’s favour, 21-14, with one head left unplayed. The slight lapse in throwing the kitty by Stoneman could have cost United the title.

This is the third time that Mona Vale has won the chain-pion-of-champion pairs. Results were:—

Quarter-finals. United (H. Stoneman and V. V. Gallagher) 22, Papanui (C. Johnston and R. Powell) 17; Elmwood (C. Newburgh and R. Mahalm) 22, Dallington (M. Briggs and J. P. Griffin) 12; Mona Vale (W. B. Anderson and T. W. Round) 19. Belfast (A. Arps and R. Giles) 17; Fendallon (E. A. Lee and T. H. P. Rennie) 21, Barrington (A. S. Morris and W. D. Sams) 18. Semi-finals.—United 20. Elmwood 16; Mona Vale 26, Fendalton 18.

Final.—Mona Vale 21, United 14.