Bowls title-holders struggle to qualify

Press, 13 June 1978, Page 30

Bowls title-holders struggle to qualify

The defending champions, Keith Mulcahey and his wife, Theresa, had to struggle to survive when pairs section play began in the national indoor bowls championships at four different venues around Christchurch yesterday. The Waikato pair needed to win their last game against Bernard Melville (Canterbury) and they managed that, 10-5, Mulcahey has suffered through illness lately and, coupled with the fact that he and his wife had some difficulty in adjusting to the differentpaced mats, their effort to qualify for post-section play was noteworthy. Two more qualifying rounds in the pairs will be held today.

Most of the prominent names qualified, but there were a few exceptions. Roger Roser (Horowhenua) and his wife, Vi, who won the pairs title when the championships were last played in Christchurch in 1969, did not have such a memorable time. They managed only one win. One of the country’s best players, Alf Williamson, of Canterbury, made the earliest possible exit. He was beaten by a team-mate, Peter Osborne in the first round and then by Mrs D. Bishop (South Canterbury). Although he won his next two games, the damage had been done.

Another surprise failure was the well-known Wellington player, Kevin Eddy. He was unable to settle down and was successful in only one game.

But many top combinations came through comfortably. Allan Rasmussen (Auckland), and the present New Zealand singles champion, Rod Fleming, leading for him, were unbeaten. Another Auckland skip who impressed was Les Dunn, a former pairs and fours titleholder.

The former Canterbury player, Bryan Stewart, now of Auckland, dropped his first game. But partnered by M. Wilson, who was lead when Stewart was runner-up in the pairs final last year, he won his next three, two of them decisively. Cath Thompson (Waikato),

who failed in the singles' section rounds, made amends in the pairs. The national representative had her husband, Cliff, leading, and they were untroubled to remain unbeaten. Canterbury, after the loss of Williamson, almost lost another of its brightest prospects for the title. Trevor Austin, runner-up to Williamson in the Queen’s Birthday West Coast nairs. started with a win, then had a draw and another win. He needed a draw or better in his last game against M. Kensington (Otago), who had won only one game. Ron Fridd (Canterbury), who won the title with his mother, Dorrie, in 1957, has teamed with her again and they qualified unbeaten. Another Canterbury player, George Smith, a member of the New Zealand executive, and twice winner of the pairs, lost his second game but made no mistake in the next two.

The Otago pairs champions, W. and S. Burton, each skipped a team yesterday and both qualified. Although he lost his last game, Graham Pedersen, the Waikato champion pairs skip, was safely through after winning his first three games. Qualifiers. — Ashburton: N. Bishop, J. Bullock, L. P. McCloy, R. H. McTague, M. Nordqvist, F. Pickles, Mrs C. Prebble, P. Hart. Auckland: A. A. Ayton, D. B. Bennett. P. J. Bowden, R. C. Coleman, W. Croul, A. Curtain, L. Dunn, J. Findlay, K. Gash, G. W. Green, D. Griffiths, C. P. King, B. Kinniard, Mrs M. Leslie, Mrs M. R. O’Brien, P. Radich, O. E. Schischka, A. J. Sims, S. E. N. Smith, T. Smith, B. O. Stewart, S. Tilton, Miss M. Tucker, I. K. Wheeler, R. Wooten, G. R. Kenny, D. M. Parlane. Bay of Plenty: A. Baird, Ray Ellis Ron Ellis, R. Marsh, Mrs F. Prier L. Smith. B. Wyke, J. Bachman, A, W. W. Browne, P. Clark, C. Turnbull. Canterbury: P. Allsopp, B. Anderson, D. Anngow, P. Anngow, G. Arnold, E. E. Ashby, T. N. Austin. K. Becker, Mrs J. Boone, C. Boyles, M. Breach, E. Carrington, G. Champion, R. M. Chiplin, T. Clark. K. R. Darling, B. Day, J. Dishington, L. Dunston. D. Earl. G. Finlay, G. Forrester, R. Fridd, B. Glasgow, A. Harding, D. Hatsell. G. Inns, Mrs T. Jackson, Mrs M. Lancaster, G. Lange, W. H. Logan, E. J. MacLaren, Mrs V. A. McLeod, L. Miller, T. Miller, Mrs A. Mitchell, C. North, D.

; O’Callaghan, N. Packman, F. . Pauling, D. Philpott, J. Pulley, ' A. Roberts (St Martins), L. I Roberts, C. D. Scott, E. J. F. . Smith, Mrs S. Smirthwaite, J. , Smith, K. Smith, W. Stanton. E. Tebay. G. W. Thomas, T. Tliompi son, Mrs F. Timms, B. Tweedie, D. T. Watts, D. Whiteside, P. Van Oossanen, P. Walker. Mrs ’ N. Warden, Mrs M. Watson, Mrs P. Woodfield, Mrs T. Woodham, Mrs S. Hecker, R. Ludbrook, Mrs B. McCrossan, K. Avis, Mrs B. Becker, B. Beeby. L. Blank, I. Brown. I. Campbell, F. Chapman, . Mrs M. Cooper, J. Elcoek, W. ' Fitchett, Mrs P. Fuller, R. Green, F. Hadley, E. Hall (Cathedral), 1 Miss L. E. Hawes, Mrs M. R. , Henry, Mrs A. Hill, D. A. Khouri, ’R. Luke, L. McLennan, D. I Morriss, Mrs N. Pohl, V. Pope, A. Quirke. A. Stenhouse, L. ( Stewart, C. Tewhata, N. W. Tomlinson, G. Topp. Central King Country: L. , Oliphant. R. Porter. ; Central Otago: R. Pearson, A. . Walker, Mrs P. Dagg. ' Golden Bay-Motueka: V. Arundel, R. Duncan, J. Evans, B. J. Fitzgerald, S. Harvey, R. Inglis. C. Johnston, R. Robb, W. ■ Robb. H. Bowden. ■ Hawke’s Bay: A. Dickson, B. Hook, T. Jeffares, W. J. Legeyt, . A. Evetts, B. Melville. R. J. ’ Wright, H. Edlin, Mrs M. Taylor. I Horowhenua: W. Foster. , Hutt Valley: A. F. Blayney, F. ' A, Butt. A. Fuge. A. Hopwood, E. Irving, W. J. Watkins, G,

Benvenuti, J. Benvenuti. Mrs P. Robertson, Miss V. J. Smith. Manawatu: T. Brighting, Mrs C. Cowen, Mrs M. Mac Kay, B. Meyer. North Otago: N. Ford, C. Hiscoke. W. Johnston. E. Proctor. Otago: S. Burton, W. Burton, R. Coleman. Mrs J. Darling, R. Darling, Mrs R. Darracott, Mrs A. Davis, T. S. Chandler, G. H. Jolly. W. Motion. B. Woodger, T. Aitken, J. Coleman, D. Cook, B. Craig, Mrs N. Haggle, M. Halsey, S. Harborne, C. S. King, A. Melton. A. Scandrett, N. Stubley, H. Webster, jun. South Canterbury: Mrs D. Bishop, T. H. Buckingham, L. Jackson, A. Kane. Mrs M. Hamel, Mrs C. McClintock, S. Mealings, B. Smith. R. Young. Southland: W. Coveney, Miss I. Egerton, W. Kane, P. S. Keen, Mrs S. Lang, Mrs M. Mclntosh, A. Shaw. W. Sinclair. R. Calder, J. Hayes, Mrs E. Heydon. A. Lake A. Lightfoot. J. Mitchell. South Otago: A. B. Bennington, I. Dickison, J. Dodds, Mrs R. Hale, E. Melton, Mrs J. Potts, Mrs T. Teller. J. Balloch, R. Betting. Upper Hutt Valley: Mrs D. Garrett. Waikato: Mrs E. Bradstreet, Mrs D. Buckley, W. Campbell, T. Clarke, K. B. Clough, Mrs P. Crawshay, Mrs F. Currie. B. F. Dewhurst. M. Garmonsway, P. Greene C. A. Head, C. Ireland, B. McNae. Mrs A. Parish, G. Pedersen, M. Pio, E. W. Seagars, R. Small, K. Sowman, A. Steiner, N. Sullivan, E. Taylor. Mrs C. Thompson. Mrs M. Tocker, F. B. Whitechurch. T. Wilson, J. Eccles, K. Mulcahey. Wanganui: D. Kendrick, R. Deane, K. Slight. Wellington: D. Bowman, A. B. Hunt, D. McKee. E. Sellars, Mrs |K. Sellars. B. F. Duffy, Mrs R. Gibb, Mrs K. J. Gowans. R. Motion, K. Surridge.