FEW SURPRISES A fright for Skoglund in national bowls singles

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33728, 28 December 1974, Page 3

FEW SURPRISES A fright for Skoglund in national bowls singles

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. A former speedway promoter, Murray Thompson, of Wellington, almost beat Phil Skoglund on the first day of the national bowling tournament in Wellington yesterday.

Although both were two-lifers in the fifth round at the Wainuiomata green, Thompson was only beaten 15-13 by the brawny bowler from Palmerston North.

Skoglund is one of 34 twolife bowlers and Thompson one of 170 one-lifers for the second day of the national tournament today. Skoglund, several times

winner of national singles and pairs tournaments, was put under pressure early on by Thompson. Thompson’s performance was one of several tight finishes in a day of few surprises in 68 sections.

All the top-ranked singles bowlers finished with two lives in searing heat and on fast greens. Jolly beaten The - only surprise was the early elimination of the Commonwealth Games gold medallist Gordon Jolly, from the Leith club in Dunedin. He lost to P. Rintoul (Island Bay), 10-19, and then to H. D. Marshall (Wellington), 13-15. Although a ' little glum Jolly was not surprised by his defeats in the singles. He had only just recovered from a broken right bowling hand and was having only his first serious “roll-up” in three weeks.

“I broke the hand falling off a stool while I was putting up curtains at home,” the 61-year-old Jolly said. Jolly has not entered the fours and says he will now be able to holiday with his wife “something I haven’t been able to do in years.”

The defending pairs champion, Ken Darling, of North East Valley, has only one life after being beaten, 20-10, by

Ken Murtagh, of Paritutu. Murtagh is the skip of Paritutu’s defending fours title this year. Jockey wins A former top New Zealand jockey, Bill Broughton, of Palmerston North, is through with two lives after winning all five games yesterday.

There was much interest in the battle between the old and young at the Victoria headquarters green. Although beaten, 8-17, by the national director of bowls coaching, John Flett, 22-year-old Tony Holdsworth, of Mount Albert, performed well and still has a life. Holdsworth, one of the youngest bowlers of the tournament, is rated also a prospect. He is competing in only his second tournament —his first was at Auckland two seasons ago. College boy

Among the young, if not the youngest competing, was 15-year-old Wayne Nimmo, a Waimea College pupil from Richmond. Nelson. The slim, left-handed, blond-headed youth with shoulder length hair, played his first match in the championships at the Hutt club He was beaten, 21-11, on the ninteenth end, but was only two down starting the sevententh end.

A member of the Brightwater club, Wayne started playing bowls last year. This is his first appearance in the national tournament.

He plays no other sport, has no hobby, and says he will next year become an apprentice "plumber, working for his father, Mr Alan Nimmo, who introduced him to bowls.

He has a 14-yearold brother, Graeme who started bowling this year, but he is not playing in the tournament.

Wayne is also playing in the pairs (with his father), and in the fours in a team skipped by his father.

Two lifers yesterday. were:— P. C. Skoglund (Northern), B. W. Sinclair (St Albans), K. Boosey (Petone), R. J. R, Gray (Rewa), J. N. S. Flett (Onehunga), J. W. Moody (Northern). N. B. Cruden (Hillcrest), P. J. Bellis (Aramoho), P. E. B. Jones (Otahuhu Railway), A. Botica (Mt Albert), P. Kershaw (Papatoetoe), W. Greenbury (Mt Albert), F. C. Duffy (Stokes Valley), J. Murtagh (Paritutu), W. J. Broughton (Palmerston North), A. F. Robson (Waitara), J. G. Christie (Westend). R. G. Newton (Mt Richmond), E. T. Coppersmith (Vogelmorn), P. K. Clark (North East Valley), M. E. G. Davis (Onehunga), J. P. Carter (Stoke), H. J. Deadmarsh (Park Avenue), M. Grenich (Mairangi), J. R. Gillespie (Kiatoa), J. Godwin, sen. (Okahu Bay), W. R. Wilkinson (Beckenham), I. S. Lonunan (Hataitai). . J. K. Mears (Blenheim), H. M. Davis (Point Chevalier), P. R. Ballinger (Paritutu), R. Metcalfe (Kilbirnie). M. G. Browne (Hutt), H. W. Todd (Blenheim).