Third bowls champion in one family

Press, 20 February 1979, Page 34

Third bowls champion in one family

Pearl Dymond (Stratford) joined her older brother, Vic ' Sellars, and her younger sister, Joyce Osborne, as national bowls singles champions when she beat Ngaira McCunn (Taieri) in the last game of the 1979 women's ■ tournament at Linwood ■yesterday. It was Mrs Dymond’s first Dominion title and it was the first time she had played in Christchurch. However, she has compiled an outstanding Taranaki centre record since she took up the game 15 years ago and was a New Zealand representative in 1976.

After conceding singles on the first two ends of the final, Mrs Dymond soon gained the upper hand. She was 6-2 up after five ends and well on her way to victory at 13-4 after eleven ends.

Mrs McCunn’s last chance disappeared on the fifteenth end when three closely drawn shots took Mrs Dymond to an 18-7 lead. Mrs Dymond was at her best over the last few ends as she extended her advantage to 23-7. The final score, however, was a little unfair to Mrs McCunn, who played far better than the score would indicate. For consistency she was only slightly inferior to Mrs Dymond, but Mrs Dymond showed the quality of a' true champion by frequently producing the outstanding shot. She did this a number of times to swing heads her way. Although the writing was

lon the scoreboard. Mrs ; McCunn never stopped try|ing and her determination I must have clouded her I arithmetic as she fought on I with two further ends after Mrs Dymonds lead was greater than the number of [deliveries she had left. It is almost certainly I unique for two sisters and a brother to be New Zealand bowls champions, undoubtedly so in the singles category. Sellars won the men's title at Wellington in 1975 and Mrs Osborne also had her triumph at Wellington, in 1972.

The family numbered seven children and six of them have become bowlers. The youngest. Audrey Murray, partnered Mrs into equal third place in the pairs championship on Sunday.

Mrs Dymond’s win completed another unusual treble for the tournament. It is the first Dominion title for her Stratford club and both the fours and pairs winners — Nora Campi (Kamo) and Agnes Beazley (Linwood) respectively —

gave their clubs the same breakthrough. It was appropriate that Mrs Dymond should win the title on the same green, almost the same rink in fact where she lost her first lif“ to Gwen Kelly (Linwood) in the fourth round last Friday.

She had to win eight mor< games before the title wahers and as one of the mo popular of the leading piners it was an extreme well-received success.