Skoglund only Games man with two lives

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33419, 28 December 1973, Page 3

Skoglund only Games man with two lives

New Zealand's prospects of winning bowls medals at the Commonwealth Games next month receded rather than improved on the first day of the national singles championship in Christchurch yesterday.

Only one of the Games selections — P. C. Skoglund (Northern) — retained his two lives; five others are still in the draw as one-lifers; and R. L. McDonald (Onehunga), considered New Zealand’s best hope of a Games medal, was eliminated. McDonald, and another Games selection, P. K. Clark (St Albans), were beaten by the identical score — 17-16 ;— on extra ends in the first round. .

McDonald, after trailing] all the way, scored a two on I the final end to draw level! with I. M. H. Ponsford (St; Clair) on the final end, and he narrowly missed with a drive on the extra end to take out the shot bowl. Clark, too, came from behind against J. A. Lambert (Tawa). He missed the third shot he needed for victory on a measure on the final end, and on the extra end the measure for shot again went against him. However, Lani-

:bert would have been unlucky Ito lose. I In the third round, (McDonald and Clark met as lone-lifers, and after getting an early break Clark clung Ito it as McDonald gave only 'glimpses of his true form and fell down on his driving in particular. Clark had to work hard in both his other two matches, but he secured narrow wins both times. “It couldn’t get much tougher,” he said. Skoglund, with his liking for short heads again evident, made a fine start. He beat R. Botting (Caversham) 20-8, B. F. McGowan (Papanui) 19-13, land A. W. Stuart (Burnham iCamp) 17-12. ’ The defending champion, IP. E. B. Jones (Otahuhu Rail]way), began with an easy | win, but then had little ianswer to the 43-year-old (Blenheim player, R. J. Smith, jwhp ■is attending his first (national tournament.

I The other Games selections to lose a life were G. H. Jolly (Leith), D. C. Baldwin (Paritutu), and J. Somerville (Matamata). Jolly was well beaten, 22-10, by the former Christchurch player, D. C. Lofley (now Khandallah) in his first game, but he recovered to win the next two comfortably. Yesterday’s rounds — some sections completed four

rounds, some three — cut the field from 1152 to 504. of which 120 are Mill two-lifers By tonight it will be down to about 40. with no more than five two-lifers. R. Henderson (Pori Moresby) lost his first gam* and then won the next two to keep a life, but his fellow Papua New Guinea Games representative. B. Baxter, was eliminated in the third round. The local challenge is likely to be led by S. E. Law son (Christchurch), who had three convincing wins, and t B. W. Sinclair (St Albans), who finished with four.