Big chance for Chch bowling four

Press, 16 February 1978, Page 30

Big chance for Chch bowling four

From

KEVIN McMENAMIN,

in Greymouth

Four Christchurch bowlers who have never won anything more important than domestic championships at their New Brighton club will this morning make a bid for the South Island title on the R.S.A. green in Greymouth. The four, skipped by Trevor Flaus and with Dave Bertie, at lead, Ron Gash at second and Les Bertenshaw the third, will meet the Caversham (Dunedin) entry of Jack McGregor in the final of this Teacher’s Whisky tournament.

McGregor is partnered by three brothers, Norman, Bernard and Harold Thorn. Norman is the youngest but McGregor’s opponents yesterday would undoubtedly testify to him being the biggest threat. McGregor’s team played well, especially in the semi-finals, but it was the outstanding leading of Norman Thorn that laid the foundation for the team’s two decisive wins. Although leading yesterday the youngest Thorn had switched positions with his brothers earlier in the tournament and played at No. 3. In another of his pastimes Thorn is more accustomed to giving guidance than receiving it. He and his brothers are prominent bandsmen in Dunedin and Norman was the conductor of the New Zealand national band that toured North America in 1965, a tour that oldest brother, Harold, also took part in. McGregor, who only sneaked into the post-section draw with a narrow win over Bob Sadler (Canterbury) in the last of the section rounds on Monday, won both his games yesterday convincingly. He had a five and a four on consecutive ends in the middle stages to thank for his clear-cut win over Jack Newman (Nelson) in the quarter-finals.

Newman’s team of Bob Ritchie, George McKenzie and Mace Allan did net play as well as it had the previous day but even when it had shots it found them hard to retain against the attacking play of McGregor and Harold Thorn.

Flaus looked set for an easy win in his quarter-final when he led Ron Baxendale (Dunollie), 13-4, after seven ends. But Baxendale, with some good support from his third, Richard Case, recovered to level, 14-14, before Flaus skipped clear again with a five and then won all three remaining ends.

The sole Wellington entry, from the Vogelmorn club, skipped by a former Buller man, Ted Coppersmith, reached the semi-finals when it beat George Miller

(United, Nelson), 15-10. s four to Coppersmith near the end putting paid to Miller’s hopes of repeating his earlier late charges to victory.

Coppersmith was partnered by Jack Adams and Bill Kinsey, both former West Coast residents, and Percy Adams. In the semifinals Coppersmith was always struggling to hold finals but Flaus was not one fine shots himself on the rare occasions his front pair failed him. McGregor led, 10-4, after 10 ends and was safe when a four took him to 18-9 with just four ends to play. The second semi-final due! and it was also notable for a very high standard of play. Flaus’s prospects did not look too bright when, with the 21-end game half over, he trailed Alan Ellis (Westport R.S.), 4-11, and, playing the fifteenth end, 5-13. Ellis’s team of Bill McCarroll, Charlie Edgarton and Vince Scarlett had not been playing a great deal better than their opposites but Ellis’s drawing had been of a very high order. Ellis then dipped a little and with twos on four successive ends, Flaus moved level at 13-13. There was little between the two teams over the last few ends and Ellis, after a fine shot by his third, Scarlett, went into the last end one up, 15-14. The last head was far from being the best of the game but when all bowls had been played Flaus held one obvious shot and he got the second he needed for victory on a measure.

Flaus’s team was on the green longer yesterday than any of the 10 which began the day. Six teams received byes through to the quarterfinals but Flaus fas not one of the lucky ones and he earned his place with a 20-9 win over Stuart Dunn (Cobden) in the morning. A second Christchurch team, skipped by Fritz Fiecken (Cashmere) reached -the quarter-finals on a bye but Fiecken’s combination of Ainsley Lawn, Lloyd Dailey and Mark Courtier was we’! and truly beaten, 27-5. by Ellis. Once or twice Fiecken held enough shots to get back into the game but invariably Ellis was equal to a salvage operation. Results:—

Fourth round.—E. Coppersmith (Vogelmorn; 19, K. Hlghet (Nelson ) 12; T. Flaus (New Brighton) 20, F. Dunn (Codden) 9.

Quarter-finals. —J. McGregor (Caversham) 19, J. Newman (Nelson) 11; Coppersmith 15, G. Miller (United, Nelson) 10; Flau* 22, R. Baxendale (Dunollie) 14; A. Ellis (Westport R.S.) 27, F. Fiecken (Cashmere) 5.

Semi-finals.—McGregor 22, Coppersmlth 14; Flam 16, Ellis 13.