Papanui rises to top in bowls

Press, 15 April 1978, Page 12

Papanui rises to top in bowls

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

Less than 10 years ago the Papanui Bowling Club was leading a fairly undistinguished existence in cramped quarters in Langdons Road. Not without internal opposition the bold step was taken to sell the property and use the money to resite the club on council land in Edgar Mclntosh Park, about 2km away. The club has no reason to regret the shift. More accurately, the present membership of about 270 (including the women’s section) owes a debt of gratitude to the men whose vision made it happen.

Since the transfer was made in the 1970-71 season, Papanui’s membership has doubled. It has developed greens and facilities as good as any in Canterbury and put together these have naturally led to higher playing standards.

Over the last few years Papanui has been making its presence increasingly felt in centre tournaments and in the season just ended it compiled a record of success that made it indisputably the top club in Canterbury. This is surely a fair reward for the small band that har-

boured thoughts of bigger, brighter and better things some 10 years ago. Papan u i ’ s major achievements last summer were wins in both divisions of the premier interclub competition, the Three-fours; the open pairs, the mid-week Mitchelson Cup; and two Easter tournaments (Christchurch and Marlborough); plus wins or placings in a number of other lesser events.

In moving into the top slot, Papanui replaces Linwood, which the previous season enjoyed a run of success so widespread as to be quite remarkable. Last season, a little surprisingly, Linwood failed to win even one men’s centre title and it’s women, who fully played their part in the previous summer’s triumph, managed just the one, the open triples. But Linwood snared the biggest plum of all, the winning by Morgan Moffat’s team of the Dominion fours title. And with Moffat also winning a deserved place in the New Zealand team for the Edmonton Commonwealth

Games, Linwood had cause for a second celebration.

After Papanui, South Brighton had the best run in centre tournaments. Jack Dale, in his first season at the club, won for it the champion-of-chara-pions singles and Graham Stanley and David Wadman, two very promising juniors, added the triples and colts championships respectively. South Brighton will be weakened next summer by the decision of its mast consistent player, Peter Meter, to have a year of two away from bowls. The return to the club of Bob Hewitt from Papanui, in whose colours he won the last open pairs, is same compensation.

Burnside, a young club which has matched comfort with growth — it will have a third green in use next season — held its place near the top. The Burnside women were the club’s major standardbearers, but the men had the frustration of being runners-up in no less than four major events. Christchurch and Spreydon. two traditionally strong clubs, stayed

prominent with a centre title apiece and the Christchurch pair, Stan Lawson and Bernie Johns, became the season’s only gold star qualifiers when they had their second victory in the champion - of» champions fours.

Lawson also captured the national limelight when he reached the final of the Dominion singles. He was beaten conclusively by John Malcolm (Auckland) and it was unfortunate, perhaps, that the defeat should detract unfairly from his superb feat in reaching the final. No one bowler managed to win more than one major title, Wally Wilkinson (Beckenham) being the closest with 'a win in open singles and a second in the open pairs. However, although he did not achieve the heights that for a time it appeared he might scale, Wilkinson would still be Moffat’s on only rival for any “bowler of the year” award.

Wilkinson’s victory in the open singles gave him a record ninth centre title and with Meier, his nearest rival with eight, step-

ping temporarily aside, Wilkinson is poised to become the centre’s first double gold star winner. Along with Papanui’s rise to the top, Moffat’s New Zealand title and Wilkinson’s record, the . 1977-78 bowls season will also be remembered for the weather. With the national tournament supplementing the heavy local

programme, the summer was a long one. And with not one day lost because of rain, it was also a pleasantly hot one. Once or twice in recent memory the men have„got through a season wffiout interruption; But the women have not been so lucky. This time the weather played no favourites — a blow for equality?