Petone pair wins replayed final

Press, 19 February 1983, Page 60

Petone pair wins replayed final

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

A marathon 41 ends were required to find the pairs champions at the Bell Tea national women’s bowls tournament which ended in Christchurch yesterday. The finalists were Jean Porter (Central Petone) and Rhoda Ryan (Matamata). Joan Coulson being Mrs Porter's lead and Mrs Ryan being partnered by Adrienne Lambert.

They played two games, the first ending in a dramatic draw when Mrs Coulson scored a three on the final end to level at 19-19. This meant that the game had to be played again 'and after a quick cup of the sponsor's product the two teams were back on the green.

If anything,- the second game produced a higher standard than the first, but the Petone pair were in control nearly all the way and they won decisively at 19-7 on the twentieth end.

History therefore repeated itself for Mrs Coulson and Mrs Porter. It was on the same Linwood green 16 years ago that they first won the pairs. The first game was full of interest throughout. Mrs Porter got away to lead 13-9 after fourteen ends, but then Mrs Lambert, who had been having weight problems earlier, got the better of Mrs Coulson and seven points on two ends took the Matamata pair to a 17-13 lead. Mrs Ryan drew , a superb shot with her last bowl on the twentieth end to go into the final end ahead, 19-16. The situation looked good for Mrs Ryan as the last head developed and she . was just one down with two very close seconds at the changeover.

It was with a drive to these two seconds that Mrs Porter carried the jack through to the ditch and she was left with two shots. Mrs Ryan still had a bowl left and plenty of room to draw a saver, but she failed to clear

the front bowls. Mrs Porter made no such mistake and easily got the third counter she needed.

Although clearly tired, both teams (which had played semi-finals in themorning) produced some excellent bowls in the replay, but Mrs Coulson and Mrs Porter took turns to draw the closer shots and a string of singles took them to a 13-7 lead by the eighteenth end. They then scored a two and a three to put the issue beyond doubt.

the fours and singles champions were also found yesterday and a replay in the fours was only just averted. This was a very fine match with victory going to Jean Ryan (Onehunga), who has twice been the champion pairs skip. Mrs Ryan’s team was Shirley Brown, also from Onehunga, Jean Cooper of Bucklands Beach, and Pat Browne, from the Palmerston North Club, Hokowhitu. They beat the defending champions — Flora McKinnon’s Whangarei team of Edna Forbes, Iris Parkes and Thelma Snell — 20-17.

This game was a tense battle throughout. The scores were level at 7-7 after nine ends, but by the fifteenth Mrs McKinnon was in front, 13-9. Mrs Ryan then had three good ends to grab an 18-13 advantage, on the last of them she carried the jack into the ditch to go from two down to three up. However, it was on the last two ends that Mrs Ryan really showed her class. Her team let her down badly on the twentieth end — at which stage Mrs McKinnon trailed by only one, 17-18 — and she was five down when she came to play her last bowl. Her only shot was a very difficult one to turn in a short bowl and she played it to perfection to win the head with a single.

The last end was very exciting and when Mrs Ryan came to play her last bowl

Mrs McKinnon held the two shots, both fairly close, that she needed to force a replay. But once again Mrs Ryan was equal to the challenge and she drew a magnificent match-winning shot to the full-length head. The singles fell to Joyce Osborne (Manawatu), who previously won this title in 1972. In a strange final Mrs Osborne beat Jean Lash (Rocky Nook), 21-16. Mrs Osborne had to play two games yesterday morning to reach the final and she won both of these, against Zelda Clements (Matamata) and Hazel Harper (Buckland), in most impressive style.

She carried this form through to the early stages of the final and aided by two fours she was 13-5 up on Mrs Lash, who had been waiting since last Sunday to play this game, after just eight ends. But then Mrs Lash suddenly found her touch and with Mrs Osborne having trouble on long ends Mrs Lash not only caught up but was ahead, 16-14, with three ends remaining.

The finish. however, proved something of an anticlimax. As if coming out of a dream Mrs Osborne drew three very close shots on the nineteenth end, three more just as good on the twentieth and a single on the last took her to a convincing, 21-16, victory. Results.SINGLES Quarter-final: .1. Osborne (Manawatu) 20. 2. Clements (Matamata) 7. Semi-final: Osborne 21. H. Harper (Buckland) 13. Final: Osborne 21. J. Lash fßockv Nook) 16. PAIRS Semi-finals: R. Ryan (Matamata) 19. M. Coveny (Lower Hutt) 10; J. Porter (Central Petone).2o. 0. Lahood (Manly) 12. Final: Ryan 19. Porter 19. Replav: Porter 19. Rvan 7. FOURS Final: J. Ryan (Onehunga) 20. F. McKinnon (Whangarei) 17.