Five from Chch still in N.Z. singles Wilkinson loses to unknown in bowls

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32803, 31 December 1971, Page 3

Five from Chch still in N.Z. singles Wilkinson loses to unknown in bowls

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN.

It seems that a relatively unknown Naenae player, A. J. Tait, might cause an upset in the final of the national singles bowling championship, after his unexpected win over W. R. Wilkinson (Beckenham) on the second day of this season’s national tournament in Dunedin yesterday.

Tait, before a large gallery, retained his two lives when he defeated Wilkinson at the Kaituna green, 22-17.

Wilkinson has been prominent in New Zealand bowling for a number of years, and was selected to tour South Africa in 1968 with the New Zealand team.

Tait came back strongly in the game after having been down five points after 'the seventeenth end. Wilkinson had 17 points, but failed to add any more for the remainder of the game. The only man to have won the national singles title on four occasions, P. G. Skoglund, of Palmerston North, had to fight hard in the afternoon to retain his remaining life.

He earlier survived a determined challenge from P. E. B. Jones (Otahuhu Railways) in the fifth round, and met strong opposition in the next round from the lesser-known C. A. Hardisty (Seacliff). Hardisty went down with distinction, 12-17.

A struggle After playing Jones, Skoglund must have known he was in for a struggle against Hardisty, because Hardisty is the player who had beaten Jones on Wednesday. Skoglund had another tough opponent in T. I. W. James (Westport R.S.A.). Although Skoglund dominated the early stages of the game, James’s play improved, and he lost only 10-14. The Tui Park player, M. R. Buchan, came through with his remaining life. He thrilled the crowd at the North East Valley II green with a fine display of bowls in the sixth round, beating N. E. Walsh (Leith), 29-19. Today will see the first day’s play in the pairs competition, which will be played on 35 greens in and around Dunedin. The pairs competing total 768.

Finals The finals of the singles will be played on either January 10 or 11, but after Monday, elimination games will continue in the singles as players become available. Much improved weather marked the second day, and contestants generally found the greens easier to handle. Most of the 35 greens were playing much faster, having dried out considerably overnight. The weather was overcast and humid.

Jones, who lost a life yesterday, made no mistake in his fourth game in the morning against the Tawa Services player, J. W. Woods, whom he beat 21-7. Jones proved a master of the sticky conditions on the Brighton green. Skoglund outclassed the

Cashmere bowler, A. F. Roberts, 24-4. After six ends of his match with Jones, the title-holder was leading, 9-4, a comfortable lead in the face of considerable pressure before winning, 18-13. Balmacewen's E. W. S.

’ Wilson had a fine 21-9 vic- ! tory against A. J. Jepson in the fourth round on the I Otago Women’s green, but he lost in the afternoon. Wilson has gained his earlier wins : with good margins, his best score being 32-5 against Khandallah’s C. H. Lorden. The skip of the winning pair at the national championships in Wellington last year, D. Baldwin (Paritutu, Taranaki) was another of the two-lifers after four rounds in the morning. In most cases he achieved good wins, his latest when he beat P. J. Trainor (Palmerston North), 28-7, at the Otago Women’s II green. But Baldwin too lost in the afternoon. The greatest surprise

(among the big-name local > players this morning was the : loss of a life by St Clair’s .H. W. M. Hogg. Hogg with I. Brunson ■ |(Hawera) at the Portobello igreen and lost narrowly, 15-19. Two-lifers.—F. B. Tait (Nae ; Nae), R, L. Boardman (Tauranga), , E. M. Patrick (North End), P. K. Clark (Karoro). One-lifers.—S. E. Lawson (Christchurch), W. R. Wilkinson (Beckenham), N. P. Nicholson (Mount Wellington), W. Howatt (Whakatane), V. J. Sellars (Northern), E. W. S. Wilson (Balmacewen), C. W. Smith (Onehunga), G. Fleury (Forbury Park), A. H. Horn (Southland), D. C. Baldwin (Paritutu). P. F. Meier (South Brighton), S. J. Dodd (Hampden), N. Danfield (Mona Vale), S. F. Andrews (Taieri), P. C. Skoglund (North End), T. G. Forman (Mount Wellington), A. Govorko (Te Puke), M. L. King (Woolston W.M.C.), N. Gordon (Balclutha), M. F. C. Davis (Rewa), H. T. Wilkins (Taieri), K. G. Aitchison (Hampden). G. J. Holloway (Springfield), H. J. Valentine (Kaituna), W. W. Mundy (Anderson’s Bay), H. W. M. Hogg (St Clair), B, W. Sinclair (St Albans), M. R. Buchan (Tui Park).