National fours bowls titles

Press, 10 January 1983, Page 6

National fours bowls titles

PA Wellington One of two highly favoured teams will go out after the third round of post section play today in the national fours bowls championships in Wellington. Either the four of Kevin Wing (Palmerston North) or Dave Baldwin (Paritutu) will no longer be in contention because they have been drawn to play each other after so far being unbeaten in the tournament.

Baldwin, runner-up in the 1983 singles and a past fours title winner, and Wing, who has been agonisingly close to major titles on numerous occasions, deserve a better fate than having to meet each other so early in the tournament.

Among those to leave the “sudden death" competition yesterday were Okahu Bay's Danny O'Connor, who earlier beat Baldwin in the singles. Jim Scott (Johnsonville), who took the singles title last year, and the internationals. Kerry Clark (Johnsonville) and Peter Beiliss (Aramoho).

On Saturday, the end of section play produced 107 qualifiers, with 12 of those having gone through their eight games unbeaten.

Playing at Seatoun, Baldwin streaked to a 20-10 lead over Hillsboro's' Bert Robinson and was rarely threatened, and followed that win with another comfortable afternoon success.

At the same club. Wing took an early lead and raced to 19-6 over Gonville's Vic Mailman, only to see that whittled to 18-17. then 24-24 after 19 ends. But with two successive twos, Wing took his first round match, 28-24. He later beat Cromwell's Terry Scott — the father of the Johnsonville player — 32-17. A former Wellington player. Murray George, now greenkeeper al Epsom but playing with the Onehunga club, had a first round 36-21 win. then put out Jim Scott 29-20 in the afternoon.

The field is down to 32 today, with some exciting clashes in prospect. Auckland's Hillsboro club still has four teams in contention, with 10 others from the Wellington area.

Edendale's Nick Unkovich. who is on most lips as the favourite to take the fours title, had wins of 27-18 and 32-13 on Saturday, the last of those being over George File (Kahutia), who had earlier beaten O’Connor.

Kerry Clark looked to have pushed through to fight another day when he led Tawa’s John Lambert, 26-15, but was as shocked as most when he conceded a seven and a six on the last two ends to go down. 26-28. Oratia's Ken Gash, who missed the first round through injury, came back under Neil Cruden’s guidance to help the side fight back from 12-22 down in the afternoon match against Dargaville’s Kevin Robinson, to win, 26-25.

Results from the first round of post-section play were: Section 1: Unkovich (Edendale) beat Howie (Fitzroy) 27-18; File

(Kahutia) beat O'Connor (Okahu Bay) 21-18; Beedell (Tawa) beat Thompson (Island Bay) 34-24; Lander (Titahi Bay) beat Stott (Naenae); Bennett (West End) beat Bartosh (Otaki) 24-23: Dalton (Tauranga South) beat Bryant (Khandallah) 25-15. Section 2; Smith (Paraparaumu Beach) beat Lowry (Central) 2613; McNish (Milton) beat Walsh (United), 21-17; Schroder (Wyndham) beat Marsic (Carlton) 29-20; Walker (Park Avenue) beat Carter (Whakatiki) 29-16; Miller (Hutt) beat Gordon (Upper Hutt) 25- Morrison (Tawa Services) beat Ballinger (Paritutu) 33-13. Section 3: Miles (Tawa) beat Ansell (Sydenham) 24-17; Dunn (Hutt) beat Bowen (Waikanae Beach) 32-14; Howat (Whakatane) beat Lowry (Rahotu) 25-13; Wilton (Featherston) beat Granger (Foxton) 25-12; Bishop (Waimea) beat McLay (Wanganui) 28-20; Parris (Waitangi) beat Martinovich (Kensington) 35-26. Section 4; Ditchfield (Palmerston ’ North) beat Geertson (Woburn) 24-23; Middleton (Kapiti) beat Hurliman (Central) 2815; Penn (Wanganui Services) beat Mattar (Tawa) 25-17; Marinovich (Oratia) beat Tilley (Gonville) 29-15; O’Sullivan (Inglewood) beat Miller (Mornington) 24-15; Hawthorn (Wainuiomata) beat MacDonald (Wakari) 27-17. Section 5: Baldwin (Paritutu) beat Robinson (Hillsboro) 24-13; Ashton (Inglewood) beat Duffy (Tawa Services) 29-19; Scott (Cromwell) beat Thomas (Petone) 26- Wing (Palmerston North) beat Mailman (Gonville) 28-24; George (Onehunga) beat McDowall (Park Avenue) 36-21; Scott (Johnsonville) beat Burr (Hillcrest) 29-20. Section 6: Harding (Hillsboro) beat Turner (Paraparaumu Beach) 30-26: Scoble (Johnsonville) beat Nevill (Seatoun) 26-17; Galloway (Northern) beat Nairn (Leeston) 26-19; Brown (Hillsboro) beat Fuller (Seatoun) 25-18; Reynolds (Leith) beat Oilliver (Otakeho) 27-10; Blance (West End) beat Reynolds (Wanganui East) 22-7.

Section 7; Galloway (Khandallah) beat Fleming (Eketahuna) 25-15; Collins (Upper Hutt) beat Coppersmith (Vogelmorn) 28-27; Robinson (Dargaville) beat Macarthur (Paritutu) 27-17; Gash (Oratia) beat Isaac (Mount Eden CS) 27-15; Lorimer (Taita) beat Galvin (Titahi Bay) 31-18; Greenfield (Naenae) beat Hitchman (Victoria) 23-20; Glengarry (Arawa) beat Oakes (Hawera) 3021.

Section 8; Aitchison (Kia Toa) beat Beiliss (Aramoho) 24-22; McGowan (Papanui) beat Legeyt (Marewa) 27-15; Kelly (Khandallah) beat Looker (Johnsonville) 25-19; Lambert (Tawa) beat Clark (Johnsonville) 28-26; Sheard (Urenui) beat Rogers (Levin Central) 22-16; Owen (Victoria) beat Donnelly (Kilbirnie) 23-22; Gregecivich (Hillsboro) beat Tarr (West End) 28-10. Gibson (Seatoun), Bernev (Wainuiomata), Campi (Hillsboro), D’Ath (Miramar), Benvenuti (Naenae), Compton (Wanganui) and Kane (North End) each had byes.