Exciting finish to Dunhill bridge

Press, 28 July 1976, Page 21

Exciting finish to Dunhill bridge

By

J. R. WIGNALL

The 1976 Alfred Dunhill inter-provincial teams championship built up to the most exciting finale in its 10-year history at Crockfords Club, Christchurch, at the weekend. The strongly favoured Canterbury team (Professor and Mrs R. P. Kerr, W. Kun, P. H. Marston, A J. H. Moore and J. R. Wignail) had started strongly winning its first three matches by the maximum, but suddenly,' when it lost to OtagoSouthland, the whole competition was thrown open. When the final round started three teams were in contention. If OtagoSouthland won its final match against Central Districts by 20 to nil. it was in the hunt. All would then depend upon the result of the last game between the two front - runners. Wellington and Canterbury. At the half-way stage, Wellington had a useful lead, due to solid bridge and to several ill-advised decisions by the home side. But Canterbury came back in the second half, to finish with a losing draw, and since Central Districts scored its first win of the tournament the whole championship resulted in an exact tie. Canterbury and Wellington (J. Benham, J. Britton, J. B. Cordwell, V. Gravis, B. R. Patterson and A. J. Thomson) each scored 75 victory points out of a possible 100, to share the Dunhill trophy for 1976.

The crucial deal was this N.

For Wellington, its NorthSouth . pair reached five spades which was easily made for a score of 680. With Mrs Kerr and Moore. South-North, the auction was:

After winning the opening lead of a heart in dummy. Mrs Kerr drew trumps, and eventually scored seven tricks in spades, two in hearts, two heart ruffs in dummy, and, by leading a low diamond from North, the king in that suit. The slam bonus was just enough to ensure that the Dunhill trophy at least remained in Canterbury for half the next year. Motor racing — Two Australians, Vern Schuppan and Warwick Brown, have finished third and fourth in the Formula 5000 Road America race in California. The event was won by Jackie Oliver <Britain*, driving a Shadow Dodge who came 'from behind to win the 160 km i race from Al Unser (New 'Mexico) in a Lola Chevy.