Hibbard wins bowls

Press, 9 March 1982, Page 6

Hibbard wins bowls

Murray Hibbard and his Christchurch team of Alf Glendinning, Fred Needham and Tony Thomas became Canterbury's first “registered" bowlers when they won the Linwood club's three-day open fours tournament yesterday. The first prize was almost $l6OO worth of air travel to Australia and this exceeds the limit set by the New Zealand Bowling Association last year for separating amateur and professional bowlers. The air travel, sponsored by Runaway holidays, is to the Gold Coast tournament in July and this is a tournament that both Hibbard and Needham compete in annually and both had already made their bookings for this year.

However, Hibbard said that he intended giving his ticket away and the other three members were undecided as to what they would do with theirs. In an excellent final Hibbard beat Tony Thrower (Hornby), 2115. Up to the nineteenth end the difference in the scores was

never more than three points, and going into the twentieth end they were level of 15-15. But on this end Hibbard, who had been playing well throughout, played a superb wrest shot with his final bowl. He not only turned out Thrower's shot bowl, but he also shifted the jack slightly to give himself four shots. In the semi-finals Hibbard, with the help of a six, overcame a slow start to beat Kevin McMenamin (Papanui). 21-16. and Thrower was always in command against Jack Dale (South Brighton) and won comfortably at 19-14. McMenamin’s partners were Alan Brown, Andrew Sharp and Jim Charlesworth and Dale had Norm Williams,' Noel A’Court and Gavin Good playing for him. Results of the quarter-finals were:— Dale 13, B. F. McGowan (Papanui) 12; Thrower 24, E. JJudson (Papanui) 17; McMenamin 20, E. J. Tomlinson (Redcliffs) 15; Hibbard 12. B. McNish (Balclutha) 1O.„-, ... . ..