Around The Greens

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32562, 23 March 1971, Page 5

Around The Greens

A party of 29 Australian bowling administrators and 21 wives completed a sixweek tour of New Zealand in Christchurch last week.

On Thursday at the Papanui green the visitors were narrowly beaten by a team of Christchurch centre officials, but the following day at Opawa the Australians turned the tables against a second team of Christchurch administrators.

The Australians, who had been favoured by fine weather almost throughout their tour, spoke highly of the greens they had played on and the enjoyment they had gained from the trip was clearly evident. .

It is doubtful if the Christ church Bowling Centre has been blessed with any more popular president than Mr G. T. Cotton, who has filled the position this summer.

His term of office has been notable for the unbroken run of fine week-ends which has enabled the centre to complete its programme, with the exception of the Easter tournament, without one interruption because of rain. Mr Cotton has therefore been dubbed the “dry president,” a title which belies his generosity in ensuring that finalists in centre tournaments have not had long to wait for liquid refreshments at the completion of their games. * * *

For the third successive year S. Inwood has won the single championship at Waikari and as lead for A Gregory he also shared in the pairs title. Gregory’s team of K. Pluck,- A Pringle and G. i Colville won the fours. The club held its final Sunday tournament for the season two weeks ago and the winning four was a Burnside one skipped by L. Pope. A F. Wilson has won the. Fendalton club’s junior! singles. In the final he beat: C. L. Griffiths. Twenty-eight fours have. entered for the ciub’s first! open tournament to be held* next Sunday.

The final of the Canterbury club’s intermediate singles will be between F. M. Stoddart and R. T. Bailey. They met recently on one side of the draw and it was Bailey who came out on top, 19-18.

In the junior singles L. Stowell will play D. Colville. In the semi-finals Stowell beat D. Keane and Colville beat F. Pickering. A drawn pairs competition for the Mantell Cup was played on Saturday and in a play-off R. Rolton’s team of M. Hamilton and E. Little beat J. D. Clements’s combination of G. Anning and A. Hayes, 5-4. An all-day tournament was held at Canterbury last Sunday in which 24 teams took part. A play-off was necessary before a Rangiora team of J. Watson, A. Dench, W. Dredge and C. Arnott (s) qualified to take first prize. A Rakaia team skipped by N. Weaver was runner-up.

The Christchurch Bowling Centre’s Easter fours tournament has drawn a field of 110 teams, an increase of two on last year’s total. ’ * # ♦

Victory in the champion of champion fours tournament last Sunday completed a notable treble for die Woolston W.M.C. in recent weeks. It took the South Island W.M.C.’s tournament the previous week-end and it was also successful in the competition for mid-week players. The Woolston W.M.C. has wasted no time in commencing work on the third green required for it to be the bowling venue for the 1974 Commonwealth Games. With at least two seasons play on it before 1974, the new green, which like the two adjoining surfaces will be of cotula, should be well consolidated by the time of the Games.

As well as catering for the needs of an expanding club,

the third green will also be most useful for Christchurch’s next Dominion tournament—likely also to be in 1974—as Woolston W.M.C. will probably be the headquarters green. * # #

As most clubs have wound up their competitions this will be the last “Around the Greens” for the season. The many contributors who have provided copy are thanked and if some reports have had to be shortened it is because of an increase in the number of clubs wishing to be heard.

The column will be resumed next summer.