Chch pair with bridge leaders

Press, 11 April 1977, Page 22

Chch pair with bridge leaders

From D. W. LOCHORE Wellington

With four rounds to go, players from Christchurch, i Wellington and Auckland i lead the field in the four-day contract bridge trial which .will end in Wellington this [ afternoon. j Although the 12 pairs tak- | ing part are striving for first ' place, there is a shade less '(tension among the leading players. The selectors, Processor F. P. S. Lu, of Christ- • I church, and Mr B. C. Bell, of I Auckland, will name a squad ( for further trials and observation in major tournaments as soon as the present coni test ends.

It is a foregone conclusion i that the top pairs plus a few imore will be nominated. I There is the keenest competition among those now .placed about the middle, 'who must strive hard to ! finish in the top half of the ladder.

After seven rounds, the top pairs and their respective scores were:

R. P. Kerr and J: R. Wignail (Christchurch), 106; J. (B. Cordwell and V. Gravis ((Wellington), 98; P. H. Mar(ston (Christchurch) and M. L. Sims (Auckland), 93; S. J. Abrahams and A. A. Taylor (Auckland), 88; M. Mayer land L. Wright (Auckland), 73; ,L F.vitt and W. Sadler (Christchurch), 64. The best match record so far has been achieved by Cordwell and Gravis, who have had only one loss. But| this defeat was fairly heavy,! yielding only three victory points. Kerr and Wignallj have been narrowly beaten twice and thus have the better aggregate. Evitt and Sadler began strongly on Friday, with two wins, but Saturday produced a string of losses and put them near the tail of the field.