N.I. bowls clean sweep

Press, 18 February 1983, Page 34

N.I. bowls clean sweep

The winners of all three championships at the Bell Tea national women's bowls tournament in Christchurch will be found on the Linwood greens today, and all the title-holders are going to be from north of Cook Strait.

Only pairs were plaved yesterday and this field' is down to the semi-finals where Olga Lahood. of the Waitemata club. Manly, will meet Joan Porter of Central, Petone, and Rhoda Rvan (Matamata) will play Ma'bel Coveny (Lower Hutt).

These games will begin at 9 a.m.. as also will the final of the fours between the defending champion. Flora McKinnon (Whangarei), and Jean Ryan (Onehunga). The way was cleared for this game to be played when Mrs McKinnon was eliminated from the pairs yesterday. The singles, too. now has a clear run after the defeat in

the final pairs round yesterday of Elsie Wilkie (Matamata). Mrs Wilkie's lead. Zelda Clements, will face Joyce Osborne (Manawatu) this morning, the winner then meeting Hazel Harper (Buckland) for the right to oppose Jean Lash (Rocky Nook) in the final. There was some splendid bowling as the pairs field dwindled yesterday and of the eight teams which contested the last round four hailed from Matamata, and, by. some strange coincidence, ail were involved in different games. However, only one of the Matamata skips' — Mrs Ryan — survived, although all four games were in doubt until the last end.

Mrs Ryan, whose lead is Adrienne Lambert, was 7-1 up on Phyllis Reynolds (Tainui) after six ends, but ther Revnolds. and more

especially her lead. Dot Rix. lifted their game and Mrs Ryan was made to play some very good bowls under pressure before she scored a single on the last end to win, 16-13.

It was the end before which made it difficult for Mrs Reynolds to keep a South Island team in contention. She held the shot she needed to tie the scores until Mrs Ryan pushed the jack back with her last bowl for one shot. Mrs Porter, whose lead is Jean Coulsen. trailed Mrs Wilkie in the early part of their game, but the Petone pair lifted their play when it mattered most and four points on the last four ends gave them a 17-13 victory.

Mesdames Coulsen and Porter will be hoping that history can repeat itself todav. It was on the Linwood

green 16 years ago that they previously won the pairs title.

Mrs Coveny, and her partner. Poppy Abbott, made their way into the semi-finals at the expense of Mavis Buchanan and Thelma Kidd, who skipped this Matamata entry. Mrs Coveny trailed for the "first 12 ends'and it was very tight over the last fewends. Mrs Kidd managing only a single on the last end when a two would have taken the game into an extra end.

There was an extra end in the fourth game, and this one. between Mrs Lahood and Betty Schwass (Matamata) was the best of them all. Both the leads. Keitha George (Manly) and Islay Garland, drew some wonderful shots and Mrs Lahood. too. played extremely well to help wipe out an early 8-1 deficit.