N.Z. OUTPLAYED

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31863, 16 December 1968, Page 32

N.Z. OUTPLAYED

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright) JOHANNESBURG. New Zealand was outplayed by South Africa in the third and final bowls test on Saturday, to leave the tourists with the sorry record of losing all nine games in the threetest series.

Showing the form they displayed at Cape Town and

Durban, the Springboks dominated the singles, pairs and fours on a specially-prepared green, which was running at 17sec. In the singles, the New Zealand manager, J. H. Flett, standing in for W. P. Scott, who was indisposed, lost, 6-23, to J. van Vuuren after 19 : ends. < J . . The pairs produced the best play, P. C. Skoglund and W. R. Wilkinson going down, 14-19, to B. Ellwood and D. Simpson. Ellwood’s excellent drawing was perhaps the deciding factor in South Africa’s win, although Skoglund’s hard and deadly driving nearly saved the match when he burned a head four times. The Springboks gained an early 7-1 lead which the Kiwis reduced to 6-8, but then Ellwood’s fine play gradually widened the score. Although the New Zealanders had already lost the match, the fours lacked nothing in excitement. New Zealand held the lead until the thirteenth end when the Springboks levelled at 10-10. Two ends later the Springboks collected three shots and took the lead for the first time at 13-11. Some brilliant shots by the skip, T. Harvey, held New Zealand at bay and South Africa won 18-13. The New Zealand four were P. E. B. Jones (skip), H. H. J. Robson, G. H. Jolly and S. Simon.