13th bowls title for Wilkinson

Press, 31 December 1982, Page 3

13th bowls title for Wilkinson

Wally Wilkinson (Beckenham) extended to 13 his record number of Christchurch centre bowls titles when he won the Christmas fours on his home green yesterday. In. doing so. he showed what' a tremendous bowler he still is. In the final, Wilkinson’s team of Denis O’Callaghan. Geoff Wilkinson, and Barry Chapman easily beat Noel A'Court (South Brighton), 3014. A'Court’s partners were Charlie Smith. Bob Lawless, and Norm Williams.. Wilkinson was a member of the winning team the last time this tournament was played, two years ago. He was then at Linwood and he was the No. 3 in Morgan Moffat's winning combination.

It was doubly interesting, therefore, that it should be Wilkinson's victory against Moffat in the semi-finals yesterday that’ put the title within his grasp. That defeat ended a long run of success for Moffat. It was his first fours loss in about 60 centre games in the last three and a half years.

The rains yesterday morning delayed the start of the semi-finals until 12.30 p.m. and while A'Court ran away with his match against Jack Edmonds (St Albans), Wilkinson and Moffat had a predictably close battle. Wilkinson, as he was to be again later in the final, was particularly well served by his front ’pair. O'Callaghan and Geoff Wilkinson. They held an edge on Roy Bailey and Sonny Calder and this allowed Wilkinson to lead throughout. Moffat trailed by three. 1310. playing the last end. He had four, possibly five, seconds when he came to play his last bowl, but was a shade off-line with his running delivery to remove the shot bowl. ‘Wilkinson, however, still had a bowl to play. The winner of this semifinal was confidently expected to win the final, and so it proved. Although A’Court himself played very well, he never had the bowls on the head that Wilkinson did, and by the fourteenth end the

Beckenham team was ahead. 20-11.

Wilkinson and his team played some fine bowls over the last five ends to put themselves bevond reach. The best of them, perhaps, was the running shot Wilkinson played to score a four on the eighteenth head. While winning centre titles is nothing unusual for Wilkinson it was a new experience for the three members of his team. Still a junior. Geoff Wilkinson gave his skip handv bowls on just about everv head.

Two years ago when Wilkinson won the Christmas fours with Moffat he went on to win. this time with his own team, the New Year triples a week later. On Monday he will be setting out in pursuit of the same double.

Yesterday's results: Semi-finals: W. R. Wilkinson (Beckenham) 14. M. Moffat (Linwood). 10; N. J. A'Court (South Brighton) 20. T. J. Edmonds (St Albans) 9. Final: Wilkinson 30, A'Court 14.