Darling wins fours title

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34037, 29 December 1975, Page 17

Darling wins fours title

The former lop Dunedin bowler and national pairs champion skip in and 1944, Kevin Darling, has not taken long to make his pre'ence felt in Christchurch, Yesterday, in his first major tournament since he shifted north two months ago. Darhng skipped a Linwood team to victors m the final of the Christchurch Christmas fours. Darhng s team of Sonnv ' ald«-r. Jim Kellv. and han ‘'mith beat John Gill’s Papanui entry of Eric Mav. Dave Craig. and Duncan ' White. >'-9. in the final, placed at Woolston W.M.C. and in cold and windy weather. The result means that Linwood will retain the John Anderson Memorial Shield, "hich was presented to the centre last year by the widow of one of the’club’s former members The winning skip last year was Ken Murray. tor Gill, it was a case of third hme bringing no change to his I’Jck. He has now been beaten lr the finals of two Easter tour•lamenls c nd one Christmas

. Mthi .lie last thiev jeais. Aid? ■ and White were also with him I when he lost this year's Easter I Gil! actually fielded six play-. I ers during the tournament. May I . was absent at his daughterswedding for two of the section: < • rounds and was replaced by Bob , Hewitt, and Craig came into the team when the original second. Eluyn Judson, withdrew after the section rounds. r Although the scoring was low • in the final, the Linwood team - fully deserved its victory. Calder >. had an edge on Max. and Craig . was the only Papanui bowler to > play with any degree of consistency. White and Gill both played 1 the occasional good shot, but both had a high count of short bowls. Kelly and Smith both came to ] I light at vital times for Darling, . although it was Darling, himself, a who took most of the honours. Seventeen of the 21 ends • vielded singles and after Darling f had led 6-1 after six ends and/ j 11-5 after 14. Gill closed the gap!’ with a three on the fifteenth.,’ Gill was again holding three p - shots on the sixteenth end, but ‘ I his hopes were dashed when P Darling drew the shot with his : • last bowl. ? However, it was nineteenth: => and twentieth ends that Darling - really left his mark on the game, j On the nineteenth. Gill, behind . 9 13. trailed the kitty for three ' 1 shots. Darling ran one of them j off with his first bowl and the j other two with his second. 1 And on the twentieth end Gill « s was holding two shots before i Darling, with his second delivery, . - intentional!' promoted a front s 1 bowl for shot.

wice Gills team Killed the l f last end in search of the six it t < needed to draw- level and it j 1 missed with six drives before | the end was finally completed.! ’ , All eight players then made for their cars and took off’ for Dun-/ : edin where they are due to con- \ ’ test the national singles this J morning. { Although an interesting match. / the final did not quite reach the . heights of the semi-finals, which j both produced superb bowling in , difficult conditions apd exciting ‘ finishes. Darling, aided by tours on sue-: cessive ends in the middle stages. ( came from 5-14 down to beat ( another Linwood team — skipped by Bob Ashcroft — 17-16. Ash-] I croft, who was partnered by ] 1 John Saundercock, Hugh Molloy,/ and Curley Lyons, killed the last/' end twice, and he even moved 1 ' the kitty on the completed end. running it to one of Darling's;. back bowls. j The other semi-final was just j) i as close. Gill beat Jim Simpson’s : iSt Martins team of Morton T Carlyle, Terry Boyd, and Colin ] ‘McPherson on an extra end. The'i i scoring was close throughout/ land Gill drew level with a ] /single, after holding two at the! change-over, on the end after the bell. Craig covered himself in glory t on the extra end when he drew I the shot inches behind the kitty. | Simpson, holding two seconds ] land well-placed back bowls. 1 missed by only a fraction of an 1 inch to move either Craig's bow] or the kitty with his final 1 delivery. 5 Both Darling and Gill also had 1 some narrow’ shaves in earlier rounds. Darling, helped greatly t by a six and a four, beat Dave

Cage ißedcliffs). 17-13, in the quarter-finals, and in the same i round Gill had a big early lead : to thank for his win over Bruce ; Drury (Linwood). A round earlier. Darling, who I got seven on an early head. I scraped home, 18-17, against Harry Scrimgeour (Rangiorai after Scrimgeour had won the last five ends and Gill scored ■a single on the last end to beat Bruce Wilson (Burwood), who beat him in the Easter final two iyears ago, 20-19. Post-section results were:— First round.—R. A. Lulham (Christchurchi 18. J. M. Steele (Burwood; 15: S. Beaumont ’Redcliffs) 18. R. A. Cooke (Riccarton .Racecourse; 17: B. Drury (Linwood) 21, S. Shuttleworth ■Cashmere) 10; B. W. Newell ’(Barrington) 19. T. F. Smee i(Fendalton) 17; R. J. R. Walsliam hShirlevi 21. F. W. Fiecken (Cashmere) 11: J. H. Gill (Papanui) 20. B. P. Wilson (Burwood) 19; A. Deane ’South Brighton) 23. ,H. ’Fletcher (Canterbury) 10: W. T. Newburgh (Elmwood) 21. T. ■Flaus (New Brighton) 10; C. T. Bateman iDpawa) 24. J. K. Burtt ’(Fcndaltoni 14; J. Simpson (St ’Martins) 15. C. Cox ißarringtoii’ 113. Second round.—D. Page )Red cliffs) 21. T. F. Coup (Kaiapoj’ 11; K. R. Darling (Linwood') 18. W. H. Scrimgeour ’Rangiorai 17; R. J Ashcroft iLinwood) 23, K. Becker (Riccarton W.M.C.) 18; Lulham 30, Beaumont 14: Drury 17. Newell 14; Gill 18, Walsliam 15: Deane 28, Newburgh 13. Quarter-final. —Darling 17, Page 13; Ashcroft 24. Lulham 9: Gill 20. Drury 14; Simpson 15. Deane 9. Semi-finals.—Darling 17, Ashcroft 16; Gill 16. Simpson 15, Final.-Darling 17. Gill 9.