First Winner Of Both Pairs And Singles

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31269, 16 January 1967, Page 3

First Winner Of Both Pairs And Singles

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON. P. E. B. Jones became the first man to win the singles and pairs championships in the same year when he and J. Miller won the final of the pairs at the national bowls championships. They beat C. Hudson and B. Moore (Carltpn), 23-17, in a tense, gruelling match which produced some magnificent play.

Only three other bowlers, J. Turpin and R. Howarth (Canterbury) and W. C. Franks (Balmoral), have won two championships at the same tournament. Jones also joined another distinguished group—those who have won the New Zealand titles in singles, pairs and fours. Jones won his fours titles in 1965 and now is linked with M. Walker (Ponsonby), F. Livingstone (Onehunga), C. L. Spearman (Christchurch R.S.A.) and M. J. Squires (West End, New Plymouth). The magic touch which he showed in the singles had not deserted Jones when he began the final against Moore on, Saturday afternoon on a green which was just a bit slower than had been the case on Friday. BRILLIANT PLAY

Moore and Hudson played brilliantly. Hudson’s drawing in particular was superb for its delicacy and accuracy but even if Hudson managed to give Carlton a small start, Jones—because he has more aggressive shots than Moore

—usually managed to regain the initiative with his firm running shots. The final took a long time —almost two hours and a half. One end, the eighth, lasted 25 minutes, when it was burned twice, and on the next one there were frequent consultations between the players and inspections of the head.

Jones took an early lead of 5-2, but often he was forced to drive to save points posted by the uncanny accuracy of Hudson and Moore with their tight drawing. Moore gained the lead when he went 8-7 on the eighth end but it did not last long. Miller began to match Hudson and Jones had a brilliant burst.

On the eleventh end probably the best display of bowls at the whole tournament was given.

Hudson and Miller played touchers with their first bowls and the state of the head changed four times with their six bowls. With his first bowl Moore trailed the kitty to go two up. Jones calmly did the same thing; then Moore retaliated. Five times the kitty was trailed but it was Jones who ganied the ascendancy

and took four shots with his last bowl. It was brilliant stuff. STRONG FIGHT Moore, a bonny fighter, came back strongly and from down 8-16 he worked back to 13-16 with precise, methodical play. However, a three to Jones on. the fourteenth end probably was the vital scoring of the match. Jones and Miller had drawn three shots and Moore desperately tried to trail the kitty. He had a path which took him between two bowls resting near the kitty. Each time his bowl slithered through the gap without disturbing anything. It was excellent, but unsuccessful, bowling, and it seemed then that the rub of the green was not going Moore’s way.

On the seventeenth end, now down 13-21, Moore challenged the length of the head. An umpire was called and it was found the head measured 65ft sin instead of 66ft. A jubilant Moore immediately asked Hudson to throw the kitty for a long end. When it finished as only a three-quarter length, he said in a very disapproving tone: “When I call for it to be up, I want it up.”

However, Moore’s strategem worked and the two points he gained took him to 15-21, but it came unstuck on the next maximum-length end when Jones drew the shot with his last bowl. Moore and Hudson fought doggedly but on the last end they needed » six—an impossibility. Moore drove three times in an effort to force another end but he missed each time. EIGHT TEAMS

The fours were reduced to eight teams and although the pairs attracted the majority of the disappointingly small crowd, those who did watch the fours saw some excellent bowling. A Ruddick (Meadowbank), the defending champion, lost a thrilling game, 2523, to S. W Burstall (Rotorua). Ruddick was leading 17-3 at one stage but then gave away two fives, not through bad bowling but simply because, when trying to trail the kitty, a cantankerous bowl bumped off the wrong way. H. H. J. Robson (Mangakino), M. G. Borrich (Hamilton), and J. Morris (Hamilton), all very strong fours, lost their matches. M. R. Buchan, the last member of the world team, went down 28-29 in an exciting match with R. Low (Mt. Albert). Buchan was down 7-17 but fought hard to even the scores at 24-24 on the twentieth end. On the last end the score was 28-28. Low managed to sneak in the vital point to gain a narrow victory. The Point Chevalier team skipped by J. N. S. Flett had a decisive win over Morris and if this team wins the fours it will give Jones, the winner of the pairs and the singles, a novel feat. Jones, who had entered in the fours, was a substitute for four matches in Flett’s teams. Results: FOURS Third round: R. C. Ball (Marton) 26, A. A. Rolfe (Levin) 22; C. G. Lauchlan (Haitaitai) 25, K. Murtagh (Paritutu) 24; J. N. S. Flett (Point Chevalier) 28, J. Page (Park Avenue) 20; J. M. Morris (Hamilton) 30, H. N. Ballinger (Khandallah) 22; G. J. Daniel (Waikanae) 29, A. M. Baillie (Park Avenue) 19; K. Whittle (Waimea) 26, P. P. Nisbet (Ngotfgotaha) 22; R. Graham (Wellington) 29, K. Croft (Papatoetoe) 15; M. E. G. Davis (Rewa) 25, A. O. Ems (Takaka) 21; M. G. Borich (Hamilton) 24, H. H. J. Robson (Mangakino) 15; R. S. M. Low (Mount Albert) 29, L. Franks (Balmoral) 24; M. R. Buchan (Tui Park) 33. M. George (Seatoun) 8. Fourth round: S. W. Burstall (Arawa) 26, A. J. Rudduck (Meadowbank) 23; A. V. Smith (Onehunga) 23, J. E. Ewart (Victoria) 19: Whittle 21, Daniel 19; Graham 27, Davis 18; H. E. Fayen (Taumarunui) 23, Borich 14; Low 29, Buchan 28: Lauchlan 27, Ball 26; Flett 29. Morris 24. PAIRS Semi-finals: C. A. Hudson and B. G. Moore (Carlton) 19, A. Evans and J. Telford (Paraparaumu Beach) 12; J. Miller and P. E. B. Jones (Otahuhu Railway) 22, W. E. Keech and M. L. George (Seatoun) 12. Final: Miller and Jones 25, Hudson and Moore 17. Play-off for third and fourth: Keech and George 20. Evans and Telfora 18. SINGLES Play-off for fourth and fifth: A. Govorko (Te Puke) 20, K. Baldwin (Paritutu) 14.