Entries down, but quality remains

Press, 11 June 1982, Page 14

Entries down, but quality remains

Although entries are down (3175 compared with 3760 for the last Christchurch tournament four years ago), there will be no lack of quality at the national indoor bowls championships which begin in the city tomorrow. All of last year's winners will be defending their titles and foremost among the leading players will be Sen Smith, of Manukau, referred to sometimes as the “grand old man’’ of New Zealand indoor bowls. Smith and his wife, Kathy, his pairs and fours partner again, won their first national title in 1962 and there have been three more for Sen since. He came very close to becoming the, first national tournament gold star holder in Christchurch four years ago. He reached the singles final, only to lose it to Ray Dockary, of Wellington. Rod Fleming (Manukau), the singles winner in 1977, and dual winner of' the ■singles and the fours in 1980, will seek further honours, as will Kevin Boothby (Waikato), the singles champion in 1972. and with Graham Pedersen, the pairs titleholder in 1980 and 1981. Jim Barr’s North Shore team is unchanged from last season, when it won the fours final after a dramatic struggle, and two extra ends. The sole representative of the Waitoa club (Waikato), Kevin Coombe, winner of last season’s singles, will team with Boothby, Pedersen and Robert Frelan, also a former singles title-holder, to give a formidable fours combination. Brian Stewart, now playing in Canterbury after winning the singles in 1975 while living in Auckland, is drawn in a strong single section. He meets a former pairs titleholder, Vi Roser (Horowhenua), Graeme Jones (Otago), a South Island fours finalist in 1981, B. Robb (Golden Bay-Motueka), and R. Wilson (Hokitika). * Leon McLennan (Canterbury) has the-unique honour of holding four gold stars, two at national, and two at centre level. He has, however, not. won a national tournament title, his national gold stars being attained for Welch Trophy wins and for national workingmen’s club championships. . When McLennan meets Mattie Sullivan (Waikato) in the fours section round it will revive memories of their clash in the 1980 national mixed fours final. Sullivan won the mixed fours on that occasion, and he has just one change to his team this year. McLennan has two changes, Ora Bate and Bruce Gray joining Marie Watson as lead and second respectively. This section is completed by R. Hamilton (Canterbury), A. Lee (Otago) and R. Bax (Thames Valley).

The 1978 fours winner, Gianni Persico (Nelson), has two changes in his team. V. Arundel and R. Miccio join R. Buonocore. Canterbury’s . well-per-formed Trevor Thompson, G. Hamel (South Canterbury), J. Auton (Canterbury), and W. Martin (Upper Hutt Valley) make up the rest of Persico’s fours section. Gary Barnes (Canterbury), the singles winner in 1976. features in an unusual fours combination. Barnes’s team is skipped by Arthur Birch and they are partnered by two Southlanders, Brian and Miriam Gerken. Canterbury's Alf Williamson, a pairs winner in 1966, is partnered in the pairs by his son Chris, already showing promise as a Town representative at the age of 12. The Williamsons will meet Raymond and Caroline Webster in section play. Miss Webster and Williamson will be together later in the season, in the South Island team to meet the North Island at Timaru. The former international, Ola Sullivan (Waikato), will meet Andrew Little, the recent Canterbury singles winner, in section play. Sullivan is a member of this season’s North Island team. Their section includes: M. Doran (Manawatu), W-.'For-ward (Nelson) and J. Clark (Otago). The North Island has held a tight grip on national events in recent years. The last South Islander to win a title was Gianni Per-

sico at Christchurch in 1978. This dominance runs contrary to the record established by provincial teams in Welch Trophy contests. Here Canterbury has held a marked advantage for many years. With almost one third of the total entries this year coming from the host association, a change to the record book appears likely. The main venue will be the Pioneer Stadium, which has not previously been used for indoor bowls. However, because of its size it has natural appeal and there will also be games at the Canterbury association’s hall in Kearneys Road. The tournament begins with section play in the singles tomorrow and Sunday and on Monday the pairs section rounds will commence. The singles final will be reached on Wednesday afternoon and pairs winners will be found late on Friday. The fours section rounds will start on Thursday' and the final of this championship will be played on Saturday.' evening. The entries for each championship are singles 1675, pairs 1015 and fours 485.