Sydenham Wins Diggers Tourney

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

Sydenham Wins Diggers Tourney

The- Sydenham combination won the Christchurch diggers* tournament when it beat United on the R.S.A. green yesterday.

This year the tournament attracted 136 fours and 10 greens were used. The section play commenced on Saturday and the green winners continued with post-section play yesterday. Only two games were played in the first round of post-section play and both of these were won with comfortable margins. C. Sinclair (United), who took part in the final, won his game against A. Houghton (Allenton), 16-8. D. Finnie, skip of the Sydenham four, did not have a very easy passage to the final. Having drawn a bye in the first round he met C. Hales (St. Albans) in the second and only managed to scrape home, 11-10. The position was little better in the semi-final, when he came to grips with A. Griffin (Elmwood) and it was only with his last bowl that Finnie drew the shot to win, 12-11. The final between Finnie and Sinclair was a rather unusual game in scoring. Finnie opened with a single and then Sinclair took two on the next head. Finnie’s Sydenham four then took command and scored on the next five heads to lead. 10-2. Sinclair’s United four rose to the occasion on the next head and drew five excellent shots and were helped by Sydenham when another was turned in to give them six. A

very different complexion was now put into the game with United being only 8-10 down. Sydenham then took two singles on the next two heads to open the gap a little wider. Sydenham was the master on the next head until Sinclair with his last bowl drove at the head and carried the kitty back into the ditch for three shots. United was once again right back in the game, being only 11-12 down. . On the next head United was holding shot until Sydenham drew inside and then promoted another bowl to be two up, but Sinclair with his last turned one out. The next head was the last as the time limit of one hour and a half for all games was now up and on this head Svdenham held the shot to win. 14-11. United, in scoring its ’ll points, only scored on three heads of the 13 played.

Results were: Post-section. —First round: L. Sinclair (United) 16, A. Houghton (Allenton) 8; K. Morrison (Linwood) 16, R. Madsen (Opawa) 9. Byes: B. Jordan (Rangiora), H. Vette (Kaiapoi), D. Finnie (Sydenham). C. Hales (St. Albans). A. Griffin (Elmwood). G. Williams (St. Albans). Second round: Sinclair 24, Morrison 10: Jordan 14, Vette 12; Finnie 11, Hales 10: Griffin 8, Williams 6. Semi-final.—Sinclair 14. Jordan 10: Finnie 12. Griffin 11. Final.—K. Perry. K. O'Neill. F. Hickman, D. Finnie (Sydenham) 14, L. Jackson. I. Lange. C Turner, C. Sinclair (United) 11.