TOUR OF STH AFRICA Two Champions Omitted

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31753, 9 August 1968, Page 13

TOUR OF STH AFRICA Two Champions Omitted

(New Zealand Pre.. Association)

AUCKLAND.

Deciding on a younger, more versatile team to tour South Africa later this year, the New Zealand bowling selectors have omitted two world champions.

They are W. P. O’Neil, skip of the four which won the world title at Sydney in 1966, and M. R. Buchan, who was second in the gold medalwinning rink.

O’Neil and Buchan are both 60 and the average age of the New Zealand team is 48. The youngest member is the 30-year-old P. C. Skoglund (Manawatu). J. N. S. Flett, of Auckland, the play-er-manager, is the oldest at 56.

Skoglund was New Zealand’s singles representative at Sydney, but he is now lead in the pair. P. E. B. Jones (Auckland), who won both the national singles and pairs titles last year, is the singles player in the touring team. The 1962 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, H. J. Robson, has been selected in the four, as have the comparatively youthful South Islanders, W. D. Scott (Central Otago) and W. R. Wilkinson (Christchurch). Wilkinson is one of the surprise selections as his only national tournament success was a third in the singles this year. The surprising selection as

skip of the rink is G. H. Jolly, who is the national association secretary. Jolly, third player in the world bowls four, was nominated by his centre, Dunedin, as a third. The team, selected by Messrs G. N. Boulton (Wanga-

nui), M. A. le Cren (Christchurch) and C. Walker (Manawatu), is:— Single*.—P. E. B. Jone* (Auckland). Pair.—P. C. Skoglund (Manawatu). lead. C. Simon (Wellington), skip. Four.—W. D. Scott (Central Otago), lead; W. R. Wilkinson (Christchurch), second; H. H. J. Robson (Waikato-Thames Valley), third; G. H. Jolly (Dun edln), skip. The team will leave New Zealand on November 7. and will play 13 provincial and three International games and will return on December 17.