Linwood’s rich haul

Press, 20 February 1980, Page 26

Linwood’s rich haul

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN.

Linwood has, for some years,' been recognised as the strongest bowls club in Canterbury. It can now lay claim to being the strongest in New Zealand.

For consistency at the highest level, Linwood has been in a class apart this summer. It has not won a national championship, but its men’s and women’s branches have collectively taken- no less than six placings.

■At the men’s tournament in Dunedin, Sonny Calder was second in the singles and Ken Watson third equal. The same pair, along with Bernie Timms, were later in the four that Wally Wilkinson skipped . ' into second place.

At the women’s championships, which ended in Wellington last week, Linwood players again, feature fed in two of the prize-giv-ings. Lex Kimber all but matched Calder by finishing second, with Elsie Williams, in the pairs and third equal in the singles and Thelma Anderson and Agnes Beazley (s). were, third equal in the pairs, a title they were defending. A lot was asked of Mrs Kimber Tast Friday, too

much according to some observers. After losing the pairs final, her second pairs game of the day, she had to play a quarter-final of the singles and when she won that she returned almost immediately to the green to play her semifinal.

She was on the green almpst continuously from 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and says that she had great difficulty maintaining her concentration through the last singles game. “1 was not very happy about playing the singles semi-final on Friday and I told the organisers that they might just as well give the game to Jean Coulson (her opponent),” said Mrs Kimber. “I would have much preferred to have waited until Saturday and I don’t think, any of the other players would have'objected. ■. But the tournament

committee. was determined to end the tournament on Friday, although in the past it has usually gone into a second week-end.”

There was no reason, so

far as she knew, why the singles could not have been completed the previous week-end. The field was down to eight on the Saturday night and all that was played on the Sunday was the fours final, which involved none of the eight left in the singles.

“I am a little upset that so much was thrown at me last Friday. At this level the going is never easy and you want to do your best. It was a bit tough having to play a semi-final so soon after having lost a final. I knew I was spent,” Mrs Kimber said. Still, she is happy to have filled two placings ; and “kept up with; the (Lihwood) men." It; was her . best effort at a national tournament, although a few years ago she was the runner-up in the national champion-of-champions singles.

Mrs Kimber said a five she dropped probably cost her the pairs final against

F'sie Wilkie. “I had a chance to get the five back later, but Elsie, with a lucky rub, got a bowl among the five and I was inable to get it out, although I just missed.” She was warm in her praise for her lead, Mrs Williams, who was a late replacement for Maree Watson, with whom Mrs

Watson, with whom Mrs Kimber last season won the Christchurch cham-pion-of-champions pairs. Mrs Williams joined Linwood only last year, after shifting from Gisborne.