Bridge trial to N.I. pairs

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34132, 20 April 1976, Page 28

Bridge trial to N.I. pairs

(Special Correspondent) WELLINGTON. Players from Auckland. Tokoroa and Hawera will represent New Zealand in international matches to he played in Australia in the spring and in Auckland at the Far East championships in November. The two pairs who finished first and second in the marathon four-day trial that ended in Wellington yesterday were Mrs F. Ewington and Mrs M. Hill, of Hawera, and Mrs H. O. Taylor (Auckland! and Mrs Z. Morris (Tokoroa). Their performances won them automatic selection in the 1976 national women’s team. The management committee of the New Zealand Contract Bridge Association will announce a third pair and a non-playing captain to complete the team later. The best pair from the South Island was the experienced partnership of Mrs V. Beil and Mrs N. Mather, of Christchurch, who tied in the victory points tally with

Mrs I Barwick and Mrs A. Garland, of Wellington. Both pairs scored 188, but under the tournament rules the Wellington pair took the higher ranking because they had defeated Mrs Bell and Mrs Mather 15-5 during the round robin contest. Nevertheless, Mrs Bell and Mrs Mather finished with a spectacular burst, typical of their resolute approach to tournament bridge. In the final round they defeated the redoubtable Mrs Taylor and Mrs Morris by 14 victory points to six, an outstanding result, for Mrs Taylor and Mrs Morris have long een the “anchor” pair of New Zealand women’s bridge teams.

The leading placings were;— Mrs Ewington and Mrs Hill, 199, 1; Mrs Taylor and Mrs Morris, 194. 2; Mrs Barwick and Mrs Garland, 188. 3; Mrs Bell and Mrs Mather, 188, 4; Mrs J. Heard (Auckland) and Mrs F. B. Miles (Waikato-Bays), 163,

The next best pair from the South Island was Mrs R. P. Kerr (Christchurch) and Mrs C. A. Hartings (Motueka). who scored 157 for eightth place.