Repeat win for bowls pair

Press, 2 April 1979, Page 3

Repeat win for bowls pair

Ivan Kostanich and Phil; Skoglund overcame a strong field to repeat their win of last year in the General Finance classic pairs invitation bowls tournament in Christchurch at the week-end. In the final, Kostanich and Skoglund beat the Dunedin brothers, Stuart and Duncan McConnell, 19-16, after a tight and interesting battle. Both teams played well, but once again Skoglund’s ability to play the great shot swung the result his way. A five on the first end got Kostanich and Skoglund off to a great start and after five ends they were ahead, 9-4. Some fine leading by' Stuart, aged 26, three years younger than his brother, helped the McConnells to close the gap and they levelled at 13-13 on the twelfth end. The scores were tied again at 15-15 after seventeen ends and after winning the eighteenth with a single, Skoglund gat his winning break on the nineteenth with a two. Kostanich placed three bowls within the shadow of the kitty and although Duncan McConnell was on target with his third drive he managed to reduce the count by only one. The McConnells closed the gap to 18-16 with a single on the twentieth end and on the last end they held one

shot when the skips changed: lover. Although not favouring the backhand, Skoglund played it with his second delivery and drew a superb shot, just behind the jack. Duncan McConnell held six seconds when he came to play his last bowl and although he managed to shift the jack he could not separate it from Skoglund’s bowl and he remained one down. In the semi-finals, Skoglund beat Bob McDonald, whose partner was KerryClark, 20-10, and the McConnells accounted for Jim Scott and John Lambert, 19-13. These were the four teams that came through from the section rounds on Saturday, the section games being shortened 30 minutes to two hours after rain had delayed the start of play for two hours. But the Papanui green soon dried out and it played very well. Skoglund and Duncan McConnell actually met in the section rounds, with Skoglund winning, 12-11, This was McConnell’s only loss and he was clearly the second qualifier. The battle was more even in the second section, with McDonald, Lambert and Nick Unkovich all having two wins. Lambert and McDonald both had points differentials of plus six, two

more than Unkovich’s plus four. The two Christchurch entrants, Morgan Moffat and Kevin Darling, did not do too well, neither managing a win in the section rounds. Darling was partnered by Neville Hill, who had an off day, and Peter Jolly won a sweepstake among a group of leading Christchurch players who were on hand to lead for Moffat when his chosen partner, Dave Baldwin, was unable to travel from Wellington. But Moffat and Darling did better yesterday and they met in the plate final, with Robbie Robson replacing Hill, who had to leave early to fly to Napier. Robson dominated the game with an outstanding display of leading. Darling,, too, played well and they won easily 27-13. Section one:—First round: P. C. Skoglund 21. J. Somerville 12, D. McConnell 17, K. R. Darling 13. Second round: Skoglund 12, McConnell 11; Somerville 14, Darling 13. Third round: Skoglund 17. Darling 6; McConnell 13, Somerville 7. Section two:—First round: J. Lambert 17, M. Moffat 8; N. Unkovich 10, R. L. McDonald 8. Second round: Unkovich 16, Moffat 13; McDonald 13. Lambert 7. Third round: Lambert 13, Unkovich 12; McDonald 14, Moffat 2. Semi-finals: Skoglund 20. McDonald 10: McConnell 19. Lambert 13. Final: Skoglund 19. McConnell 16.