Only 15 teams qualify in fours tournament

Press, 27 December 1980, Page 3

Only 15 teams qualify in fours tournament

The new qualifying mark of seven wins, from nine games, proved tougher than expected when section play ended yesterday in the Christchurch Christmas tours bowls tournament.

Just 15 teams, from an entry of 114, managed seven wins or better and these 15 will continue at Linwood today. By this evening the field will be down to two and they will meet in the final at Linwood tomorrow morning.

As has become commonplace, the Linwood Club has the strongest representation. It has three survivors—fours skipped by MorganMoffat, Hugh Berry and Warren Fitchett — while Papanui and Hornby each has two teams remaining. Moffat, who was again untroubled to -win his three games yesterday, and Peter Meier (South Brighton) had the distinction of being the only skips to go . through the nine rounds unbeaten.

The skips to record eight wins were Alan Charteris (Papanui),' Roy Bailey (Mt Pleasant), Jim Simpson (St Martins), Stan Lawson (Papanui) and Fitchett. The . seven-game winners were Berry, Jack Edmonds (St Albans), Alan Wright (Homby), Keith Charteris (Spreydon), Jack Smillie (Elmwood), Trevor Austin

( (Homby), Keith Donaldson (Cashmere) and Bill Morri!son (Burnside).

Simpson has a bye j through the first round this! morning, the rest of the draw being Morrison v. Lawson, K. Charteris ' v. Meier, Wright v. A. Charteris, Fitchett v. Donaldson, Bailey v. Bern,', Smillie v. Austin. Edmonds v. Moffat. There were a number of rtense finishes yesterday as j teams on the borderline, i battled to qualify. Two past .’winners, Travis Coup l(Kaiapoi), and Arnold Memory (Woolston W.M.C.), had I their hopes dashed in the ! first round of the day, the iseventh of the tournament l when they were beaten for a third time. i Coup lost 16-18. to George ; McFadzien (Burwood) and j Memory faile- by one, 19-20, against Brian Hegarty (Spreydon). Doug Stuart (Dallington),

who has been an Easter fours winner, was another top player to suffer a third) loss in the seventh round. Philip Maples (Elmwood), whose team had struggled in the earlier rounds last weekend, ' surprised by beating Stuart, 18-17.

Skips to stumble in the last round included Jack Lang (Papanui), who lost 1220, to Smillie, Jim Kelly (Dallington), who was well beaten, 7-19, by his former Linwood club-mate,. Kevin Clayton-Smith, and Morris Naim (Leeston), w’ho after a bad start could not catch Alan Charteris and was beaten, 14-18.

Arthur Nottingham, who t has transferred this season (from Spreydon to Riccarton ■ W.M.C., had the misfortune to meet Bailey in the last , round and having to win to qualify. Bailey’s team of Jack Williamson, Brian Curtain and

Tom Wood was most impressive in winning, 27-6.

On the same green, Papanui, Neil Howman (Fend alton), had a frustrating time before he bowed out. Howman had six wins after seven rounds, lost his eighth game, 21-22, and his ninth, to Ray Ward (Shirley), 1419, after being two down playing the last end. This was in spite of Howman’s great start of a seven on the first end. A round earlier Ward’s qualifying hopes disappeared when he was beaten. 19-20, by Tom Adkins (Woolston Park).

Of the teams that came through with the bare seven wins, none had as narrow a squeak as Donaldson. He had his seventh win in the last round, a 17-16 victory at the expense of Pat' Butts (St Albans), who, himself, had been in. the running until the previous round.