Linwood bowls favourite

Press, 31 October 1981, Page 64

Linwood bowls favourite

Linwood 1 will again be the team to beat when the three-fours inter-club bowls competition begins today. Its first opponent is Woolston W.M.C. 1 at home.

Linwood has had a golden run in the event since 1976, when it was placed second in division one. It was the champion team-in 1977 and 1979, second in 1980 and last summer was a runaway winner by nine points. However, Linwood 1 might not be quite so strong this season. Its top player, Morgan Moffat, is not available for any Saturday play, and transfers have robbed it of a

number of leading players, including the most successful bowler in the history of Christchurch centre championships, Wally Wilkinson. The club has gained Roy Bailey, from Mt Pleasant,and Bill Hayes, from Edgeware, and Hayes will skip one of the No. 1 team’s fours, with Bailey as his third. The other two skips are Ken Watson and Warren Fitchett. Linwood will have a second team in division one, although it wilt play as Linwood 111. The No. 2 team was relegated to division two last summer and the club has adopted the policy, of making the third team its

second in playing strength. South Brighton, the only club to challenge Linwood’s dominance in the last three years, also has two teams in the top division, its second team earning promotion last summer from division two. Sumner and Morrison Avenue I are the other two teams stepping up to grade A company. The top South Brighton team will again have the services of three strong skips, Graham Stanley, Tom' Dixon and Jack Dale, although the composition of their fours is somewhat changed from last season.