Linwood pair raise eyebrows at nationals

Press, 2 January 1981, Page 3

Linwood pair raise eyebrows at nationals

PA Auckland I Alan Briden and Bill; McDonald (Linwood) raised; a few eyebrows when they beat two of the more fancied combinations in the national bowls pairs championship at Auckland yesterday. In their fourth-round match of the championship they took a life off the 1971 champions, John Murtagh and Dave Baldwin (Paritutu), 16-13. ’ Earlier they beat Kevin Robinson and Bill Todd (Dargaville), 20-15. Robinson had reached the final 10 players in the singles championship, after five rounds of play were squeezed into a long day’s play on Wednesday. ’ The victories leave Briden and McDonald undefeated after four rounds, together with another 87 two lifers. The Dargaville and Paritriu

1 pair join 35C other one lifers, Ito carry on play today. I The 440 one and two lifers I are all that are left of the 1408 pairs that started play' yesterday morning in 88 sections around Auckland. Jack Somerville (Rewa) the 1971 fours champion lost his second life in the last I game of the day and is out of the competition, while Lloyd Crouch (Orini), the Waikato representative did ■ not even last as long, losing his first two games. . George Alley (Mt Wellington), the 1978 pairs winner lost his first life in the fourth round to Murray George and Wally Fleming ’ (Onehunga), 15-13. Bill McArthur (Paritutu), the 1979.. champion, went down by one shot in the [ third round to Arch Taggart . and Bob Mortimer (Tawa), 11-12. While the former champion

I ran into trouble, most of the imore favoured combinations iare still unbeaten. Peter Beiliss and Keith Slight (Aramoho), who will meet each other in the next round of the singles, breezed through their section. The father and son teams of Vic and Wayne Sellars (Northern) -nd Charlie and Davie Game (Helensville) also won their way through. The Dickison brothers, lan and Phillip (Kaikorai), Terry Scott, Kerry Clark (North East Valley) and Bill Broughton, Kevin Wing (Palmerston North) will be among those defending their one life tomorrow. Anothey undefeated pair is that of J.’ Mears (Blenheim). The final rounds of the singles will be held on Sunday, culminating in the final in the afternoon. The draw for the twelfth round of the singles today is: O. Smith (Takapuna) v. G. Weller (Rocky Nook), W. Marshall (Ellerslie) v. G. Parris (Waitangi), I. Dickison (Kaikorai) v. D. Matthews (Henderson), K. Slight (Aramoho) v. P. Bellis.(Aramoho), I. Kostanich (Helensville) v. K. Robinson (Dargaville).