Moffat upset in bowls final

Press, 28 December 1978, Page 3

Moffat upset in bowls final

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

Ray Hey, a consistent performer for a number of years, broke through for his first Christchurch centre open bowls title when he skipped his Dallington team of George Rowland, Harold Drewery and lan McAllister to a 25-18 victory in the final of the Christmas fours yesterday.

In a game which lasted nearly four hours and was chock full of good bowling, Hey upset the odds by beating the favourite Morgan Moffat, whose team of Ken Watson. Sonny Calder and Bryan Smith had the advantage of playing in their own Linwood green. But there was no denying that the outcome was a just one. Even Moffat and his team, who were left with just on an hour to catch their plane to Wellington for the national tournament that begins this morning, conceded that they had been outbowled.

Hey, in particular, had an outstanding game, maintaining the fine form he had shown throughout the tourment. His driving was almost faultless and he used the shot to keep Moffat from getting back into the game after the dropping of 11 points on two ends had put Linwood in considerable trouble.

McAllister, too. played exceptionally well, drawing with finite judgment on some occasions and on others being just as proficient with quicker deliveries. Rowland laid the basis with a display of leading that was always steady and at times brilliant.

Drewery, who like McAllister, was a member of Doug Stuart’s Dallington entry that won the Easter fours three years ago, was only slightly less handy. His bowls were never far off line and when the jack was

moved, as it was frequently, their value often grew. Moffat’s team has played better games, arid a testing semi-final against another Linwood entry, skipped by Curly Lyons, may not have helped their cause. Still they all had their moments and just one disastrous head may have cost them the game. Hey had a stroke of good fortune on the fourth end when a slide off a side bowl gave him the shot with his last delivery. Without the rub he would have been left five, possibly six, down. But for the most part Hey earned every point he won and after eleven ends he was ahead, 10.9. Then came the turning point. Moffat, one down on the head, had two drives and the second found only his own team’s bowls — "leaving Hey with seven shots. Hey rammed home the advantage on the next end when superior bowling reaped his team a four and with a single following Dallington was suddenly holding a commanding, 22-9 lead. Moffat tried hard to stage a comeback and the prospect existed on both the fifteenth and sixteenth ends when he lay five and four shots respectively. However, each time Hey’s last-bowl drive shattered the hope. Over the last few ends, McAllister and Hey were the dominant players and with Rowland and Drewery playing their part, the chance of Linwood forcing a close finish was never more than faint. It was Moffat’s first loss in 12 games during the tournament and he and his team now face two week’s play in Wellington. Moffat was a little uncertain as to whether the event had tuned them nicely for their defence of the national fours title. “It may have done the opposite,” he ventured. While the final was a

wonderful exhibition c bowling skills, it was the semi-final between Moffa and Lyons that gave the crowd cause for greater ex citement. Moffat took an early 5-0 lead, but Lyons, whose team was Frank Burgess, Rod Kimber and Hugh Molloy, steadily wiped out the deficit and singles on the last two ends, drew him level at 13-13.

On the extra end, Lyon: burnt the first head when ;■ trail by Smith gave Moffat four shots. The replay was again going Moffat’s way when Molloy, with a superb drive, put the jack into the ditch and stayed dost enough for shot. Moffat showed his clas by drawing inside Molloy’■ bowl, just a few centimetre out from the ditch. It was a magnificent pressure shot Lyons tried to drive it off but was fractionally astray. In the other semi-final. Hey got his winning break a

little earlier than he did in the final. His opponent was Ray Speer (Cashmere) and this time it was a three and a six on consecutive ends, the seventh and eighth, that pushed Hey ahead, 14-5.

Like Moffat later, Speer, whose team was Campbell Morrison, Noel Burtt, and Alf Pope, momentarily lay the shots he needed to close the gap, but Hey’s drive was a powerful weapon. The fine leading of Rowland was another feature of this game. Results:— Quarter-finals

R. J. Hey (Dallington) 19, M. S. Robinson (Barrington) 9: G. R. Speer (Cashmere) 18, W. J. Cogswell (St Albans) 9; M. Moffat (Linwood) 18, A. B. Nottingham (Spreydon) 7; E. C. Lyons (Linwood) 22, R. L. Ward (Shirley) 8. Semi-finals Hey 17, Speer 15; Moffat 14, Lyons 13. Final Hey 25, Moffat 18.