Top bowlers fall on first day of titles

Press, 30 December 1980, Page 4

Top bowlers fall on first day of titles

PA Auckland Heads rolled at the national bowls championships yesterday, several of the prominent players losing one or both of their lives.

John Murtagh (Paritutu), the defending singles champion, lost his fourth round game to Des Stead (Wanganui Services), 10-21, and is one of 416 players who has only one life left in the tournament.

Stead is one of 104 left in the competition undefeated. Bob Mcdonald (Onehunga) the 1962 pairs arid 1973 fours champion is out of the contest altogether. He lost his first life to a former top jockey, Bill Broughton (Palmerston North), 15-20, and then In the fourth round A. G. Duffy (Hutt) took: his other life, 21-17. . Percy Jones (Otahuhu Railway), who has five national titles to his credit, did not survive the day’s play either. He lost his third round game to George Allan (Westport R.S.A.), 21-14, and the fourth round to Basil Topham (Papakura), 21-18. Allan also won his second match to remain undefeated. Ron Buchan, the national selector and 1964 and 1965 champion, did not last .long, either, losing his first two games to be eliminated. While some of the more fancied bowlers'were having their problems several younger players were showing good form to go, through the day unbeaten. David Reid (Browns Bay), the Auckland junior singles champion, beat Wayne Sellars (Northern) in the final round by the handsome margin of 21-7 and will still have his two lives intact at tfie start of play today. Wayne’s father, Vic, the 1975 singles and 1972 pairs champion, suffered a similar fate in his fourth round game against Owen Smith (Takaptina), losing 18-21. After , struggling through his first game, Nick Unkovich (Okahu Bay), the 1979 champion, sailed through his remaining three,games to retain his two lives. Ivan Kostanich (Helensville), the 1977 champion,

and Peter Bellis (Aramoho) made easy work of their games,; while other prominent competitors still unbeaten after four rounds include Neville Hill (Papatoetoe), Kevin Wing (Palmerston North). Dave Baldwin (Paritutu) and John Malcolm (Carlton) the 1978 titleholder.

Other top players who will have to look to their laurels today to remain in the tournament after losing one of their lives yesterday include Kerry Clark (North East Valley), the national selector and 1977 fours champion.

Danny O’Connor (Okahu

Bay), the No. 3 in the winning fours in 1975 and 1979, who reached the last eight in the singles last year, lost his final game to Eric Simmonds (Blockhouse Bay). George Alley, the 1978 pairs champion, also has only one life left after losing to Len Stanisich (Papakura). Other former singles win-' ners to lose a life yesterday •' were Tony Goyorko (Te Puke), the 1963 champion, Lionel Franks (Balmoral), 1 the 1969 winner and Robbie r Pobson (Tokoroa), the 1974’ champion. ■ A Dr Knauf, of the Highfield club is also undefeated after the first day’s play.