Anderson and Barnes were top Chch bowlers this season

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32880, 1 April 1972, Page 11

Anderson and Barnes were top Chch bowlers this season

(By

K. J. McMENAMIN)

In bowls, as in most other sports, there is, at the end of each season, the temptation to make personal assessments of the leading players and thereby arrive at a ranking list of the top three or four. In applying such an exercise to Christchurch bowlers tn the 1971-72 season, four names immediately come to mind — B. W. Sinclair (St Albans), G. L. Bames

(Christchurch), J. P. Anderson (Linwood) and P. F. Meier (South Brighton). As the only Christchurch bowler to win a place in the New Zealand team to compete at the world championships in England in June, Sinclair has found this summer a most rewarding one. However, his selection was earned over the last four years, during which time his consistency as a specialist lead in top competition was unmatched. Apart from a useful effort in the national singles at

Dunedin, he has achieved little of note this summer. Nevertheless, Sinclair’s consistency bore fruit this summer and he, therefore, must be considered for a prime place on any honours fist Meier’s claim rests solely on his third placing in the national singles and such is the magnitude of this one feat that he, too, deserves a high ranking. But, notwithstanding their excellent credentials, both Sinclair and Meier might have to accept places a rung or. two lower on the

ladder than Bames and Anderson. • Bames created history by winning both the Christchurch open singles and open pairs in the same season. The achievement was given even greater lustre by the fact that he is only a third-year lawn bowler. For such an inexperienced bowler to complete this double was remarkable, but even so, Bames might have to bow to Anderson for the number one position. Anderson’s successes were on a broad front. He helped his club win the Three-fours competition and, at centre level, he skipped the champion-of-champions four and was runner-up in the champion-of-champions singles. In addition, he served the centre most ably as its singles representative in the Rothmans national inter centre tournament However, , Anderson's greatest deeds were at the national championships, where, partnered by B. J. Smith, he was second in the pairs and reached the last eight in the fours. Such was the impact Anderson made at Dunedin that he advanced from being a complete outsider to very nearly winning a place in the world bowls team. Proof of just how close he went to selection came when he was named as a non-travelling reserve. After Anderson's double triumph two years ago of winning the open singles and the champion-of-cham-pions singles, it came as no great surprise that Anderson should do so well this season. However, what was not generally known was that since Christmas he has not been in the best .of health. Had the rules allowed his club to field a replacement in ' the recent champion • of - champions'

singles, he would have withdrawn. So, a possible order of merit for 1971-72 could be: Anderson 1, Bames 2, Sinclair 3, Meier 4. Following this quartet, at a respectful distance, would be E. M. MeCahon (Elmwood), the Maddison Trophy winner; G. E. Bennett (Fendalton), the successful Christmas fours skip; T. F. Coup (Kaiapoi), second to/ Bennett at Christmas and a most reliable inter-centre representative; S. E. .Lawson (Christchurch), who won nothing, but performed most creditably at the national and centre level; and W. R. Wilkinson (Beckham), who also won nothing, but was a worthy favourite for everything he entered. ■- After his golden summer last year, Wilkinson might view his record this season as disappointing, but, shot for shot, and taking into account all the other requirements by which bowlers are classified, he is still perhaps a cut above anybody else in Canterbury. It is possible that the results of Easter tournaments could effect these rankings. This would certainly be the case if Bennett .should complete the Christchurch Christmas-Easter double; he would then be a clear fifth. Bames is undisputably the young bowler to make the most rapid advance this summer, but not too far behind him is Smith, whose leading for Anderson at Dunedin was exceptional. If there was an award for the unluckjest bowler, then M. J. G. Robson (Woolston W.M.C.) would be a worthy recepient. He narrowly missed a centre title on more than one occasion. Another who went close to making a deserved breakthrough was M. .Sw Robinson (Barrington).