Dixon and Bennett within reach of gold star in bowls

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33806, 1 April 1975, Page 3

Dixon and Bennett within reach of gold star in bowls

Two of Canterbury’s best-known bowls skips have the prospect of entering the “gold star club’’ today. They are Toni Dixon (South Brighton) and George Bennett (Fendalton).

Both have four centre titles to their credit and i will be trying for the fifth when they take the green at Woolston W.M.C. this morning in the semi-finals of the ' Christchurch Easter fours. They will play in separate semi-finals: Dixon’s opponent: will be his former South i Brighton club-mate, John; Gill, who transferred this: season to Papanui, and Ben-1 nett will play Doug Stuart (Dallington). Dixon won the event ini 1966, and with the same team as he has this year —I Graham Stanley, Doug Heller and Peter Meier — was second last year. He convincingly won his three post-section games yesterday. In the quarter-finals.: Dixon was struggling for a; while against Keith Jones: I. (Leeston), but his driving paid dividends on some key ;heads in the middle stages: and he scored 14 points on ! four ends to win clearly.

Order changed Dixon has changed the order of his players slightly from the section rounds, where his form, and that of his team, was a little erratic. Meier has switched to three and Heller to No. 2. The other three quarterfinals all produced close finishes. Gill, who was the runner-up two vears ago, carried his team of Eric May, Cliff Johnston and Duncan White through some tricky situations before he was assured of victory over Keith Donaldson (Cashmere). Gill led all the way, but Donaldson trailed by only two playing the last end and it was a ’raw by Johnston, two feet behind the kitty, which greatly lessened the likelihood of the game going to an extra end.

Rather unfortunately, although it could not be avoided. Bennett met another Fendalton skip, Walter Hadlee, in the quarter-finals. Bennett, whose team is Eric' Bell, Eddie Taylor and Mel Hintz, had charge most of;

si the way, although on the [ final end Hadlee, three down /on the board, had four shots ’if he could move the kitty ‘ about four feet. Brave attempt Hadlee made a brave at- ( tempt with his last bowl, : but succeeded only in moving Bell’s shot bowl, an inch ; off the kitty, and the kittv [stayed put.

Stuart, whose team of lan Scott, Harold Drewery and lan McAllister showed impressive form throughout its three games yesterday, reached the semi-finals at the expense of Cliff Cox (Barrington), whose team could have been excused for hoping for third time lucky.

For the last two years Cox has made the semifinals and each time the kitty rebounding up the rink on the final end robbed him of victory. This time it was the kitty heading in a different direction which signalled his demise.

Trailing Cox went into the final end against Stuart trailing by two — after six drawn shots on a long head in the middle stages had boosted his prospects — and with; the seconds on the mat he! had the two shots he needed. However, Drewery, after just missing with his first' drive, collected the kitty! with his second and burnt ! the head, thereby ending the game.

In the previous round. Cox had featured in one of the best games when he met Les Lindley (Christchurch), who went on to win the final last year after beating Cox in the semi-finals. With two ends remaining the scores were level at 11-11, but then Cox scored a four and a six. The best finish of this round was Jones’s effort in scoring a two on the final end to beat Roy Bailey (Canterbury) by one and in the first round Donaldson achieved an even tougher assignment — a four on the last end to beat Wally Wilkinson (Beckenham) 14-13. Post section results were:-

First round —D. H. K. Stuart (Dallington) 26. W. Bo.vd (Papanui) 5; L. C. Lindley (Christchurch) 29, S. Cawtherav (Canterbury) 10: J. A. Gibb (Shirley) 20, G. Anderton (Morrison Avenue) 7; W. A. Hadlee (Fendalton) 20, E. B. Courtis (Mona Vale) 9; K. Donaldson (Cash mere) 14. W. R. Wilkinson (Beckenham) 13; J. H. Gill (Papanui) 20. A. B. Nottingham (Spreydom 8; T. W. Dixon (South Brighton) 20. T. F Smee (Fcndaltom 12; R. T. Bailev (Canterbury) 18. B Doig (Rakaia) 3. Second round.—Stuart 16. R. Cullen (Sprevdon) 13; C. Cox (Barrington) 21. Lindley 11: G. E. Bennett (Fendalton) 20. Gibh 10; Hadlee 16. B F McGowan iPapanui) 5: Donaldson 26. H F. Flctriier (Canterhii-v) 8: Gill 24. R Wilkinson 'Mt Pleasant) 5: Dixon 24. L. T MeKendry (Dallington) : 6: K. N. Jones (Leeston i 18. Batlev 17.

Quarter-finals.—Stuart 15. Cox 13; Bennett 12. Hadlee 10: Gill ’6. Donaldson 13: Dixon 19. Jones