Big bowls entry

Press, 22 October 1980, Page 28

Big bowls entry

A’’ record number of bowlers will take part in the national lawn bowls championships in Auckland this summer. More than 3400 bowlers had entered the Rothams-spon-sored championship when entries closed last week. • The tournament secretary, Mr David Griffiths, said this was about ,300 more than took part in the championships when they were last held in Auckland, four years ago. However, while singles entries were up 36 on the 1584 who took part in 1976, pairs entries were down, he said.-

Mr Griffiths said 1390 entries had been received for the pairs, compared with the 1976 entry of 1446, while 806 teams had entered the fours, just two down on .the number four years ago.

The bulk of the entries came from the Auckland area, where more than 100 greens will be used during the three-.week championships, six of them . at women’s bowling clubs. Mr Griffiths said about 800 bowlers were expected from outside the Auck-land-Counties - region. 'The

competitors would include most of the country’s top bowlers. However, among those who had not entered when entries closed were Palmerston North’s Phu Skoglund, who did not take part in last year s championships in Dunedin either, and last year s champion pair of David Galt an<T Colin Burgess from the Te Rangio Club in Invercargill. But Okahu Bay’s controversial Nick Unkovich; who did not defend his 1978 singles title at last year’s championships, has entered. The reigning champion four from Johnsonville, skipped by Jim Scott, will defend its title. Mr Griffiths said that extra entries would be sought, particularly in the fours, to enable suitable composition of the draw, much of which has been made up as entries have been received. The bowlers will not only be playing for the keenly-sought New Zealand titles. After the tournament, a team of five will be selected to play in three tests in Australia in April.