Scott hopes end in bowls fours

Press, 10 January 1984, Page 3

Scott hopes end in bowls fours

PA Dunedin Jeff Harding (Hillsboro) ended the hopes of Jim Scott (Johnsonville) with an all -the-way 30-6 win in the Rothmans New Zealand bowls championships in Dunedin yesterday. Harding, aged 35, and his four of Mel Brown, Doug Kent and his brother John Harding, never looked like being headed in a victory that was as comfortable as it was surprising. Harding had qualified from section play in an inauspicious manner, gaining only the necessary six wins, and brought little experience into the match.

Kent, the second, is only a sixth year bowler, while Jeff and John are both in their eighth years. Brown and John Harding, however have experienced a national final, finishing runner-up with the composite four of Peter Budd in Wellington last year. Scott, who skipped the team entered under Kerry Clark’s name, was always on the back foot against the accurate draw play of the Hillsboro four. Scott, a New Zealand World Games bowler, was backed up by Clark, a former international and fours winner at third, brother Terry at second and Rex Knox, a member of the fours winners in 1980, leading.

However, the experience of Scott’s four counted for little against the Aucklanders.

Harding led 8-0 after only three ends. Scott then picked up a single and a two to get the closest he was to get ail match. After 10 ends Harding led 18-4 and Scott was desperately trying to claw his way back into the game. Repeatedly Scott called for his brother Terry to drive at the end to try and negate the advantage built up by the Aucklanders. However the drives were continuously wayward and failed to disrupt Harding’s rhythm. Harding led 22-5 after 15 ends and at the end of the twenty-ninth end, trailing 630, Scott conceded the game.

Close games, however were the order of the day in most cases. Tom Rutherford had a 2724 win over Mike Stewart in the afternoon round, being 24-all going into the last end. Duncan McConnell (Kaikorai) won 21-19 against Russell Heena (Redcliffs), after trailing 6-15 at the end of 16 ends. Bruce McNish (Milton), with his champion four, was one who went down in a close game. He lost to Pat Cumming (North End, Invercargill) 19-21 to end his hopes for retaining the title. Stan Lawson (Sydenham), one of the big Christchurch hopes, was knocked out in the second round of postsection play going down to Les Morrison (Clinton) 25-30. It was a great day for the home-town Dickisons, with fours skipped by lan, junior (Kaikorai), lan, senior (Kaikorai), and Phil (St Clair), all reaching the last 32.

The strong fours of Rex Lienert (Ashbury), with singles winner Robin Milne, and Dave Baldwin (Paritutu) continued on their winning way with two wins today. Nick Grgicevich (Hillsboro) had a good 31-8 win over Dave Manson (Bucklands Beach) after clearing

away from the thirteenth end.

Grgicevich and his four of Pat Robertson and Ivan Kostanich (Helensville) and Don Hooper, also from Hillsboro, led 14-7 after 13 ends.

They then scored 17 shots on the next 11 ends, while Manson could only manage one.

In the same section Nick Unkoich (Rawhiti) held off a good challenge from the local four of George Watt (St Clair) to win 27-15. Dave Burgess (Te Rangi), also in the same section, scraped home 25-24 against Heriot bowler Jim Mair. Mair had earlier beaten pairs winner lan Dickison in the first round of section Play. This section and the other with only eight in it received byes in the afternoon, to reduce the field to a symmetrical 32 by the end of play yesterday.

Results from the first day of post-section play.— Section 1: N. Grgicevich 31, D. Manson (Buckland's Beach) 8; N. Mitchell (Karitane) 23, W. Thomson (Taieri) 21; N. Unkovich (Rawhiti) 27, G. Watt (St Clair) 15; P. Burgess (Te Rangi) 25, J. Mair (Heriot) 24. Section 2: K. Watson (Linwood) 36, R. Doyle (Kaituna) 9; D. O’Connor (Okahu Bay) 22, G. Stumbles (Tainui) 17; W. Allen (Nelson) 27, H. Cathcart (Maraetai) 15; A. Free (Outram) 31, R. Gorf (Woolston Park) 10. Section 3: W. Bambery (Balmacewen) 26, B. Gibson (Waihopai) 14; G. McGimpsey (Tainui) 30, R. Buchan (Hamilton Cosmopolitan) 13; B. Jones (Southbridge) 34, J. McGregor (Caversham) 19; C. Batchelor (Northern) 30, R. Nieper (Anderson’s Bay) 23; R. Heeney (Redcliffs) 22, R. Smith (Kia Toa) 21; D. McConnell (Kaikorai) 30, T. Coup (Kaiapoi) 18. Section 4: E. Cartwright (Park, Timaru) 23, N. Gent (Balclutha) 22; I. Dickison (Kaikorai) 30, W. Cubitt (Berhampore) 10; J. Dale (Papanui) 25, M. Jones (Woolston W.M.C.) 21; J. Mears (Marlborough) 27, P. O’Sullivan (Fairfield) 23; C. Dickinson (Tahuanui) 21, K. Sheehan (Roslyn) 18; S. Jones (Anderson’s Bay) 26, I. Hanson (Barrington) 12. Section 5: D. Patrick (Dunedin R.S.A.) 26, W. Fiecken (Beckenham) 16; A. Stuart (Burnside) 27, G. D. Swale (North End) 25; W. Solly (Rotorua West) 32, D. Radford (Kaikorai) 18; J. Johnstone (Taieri) 25, B. Turnbull (West End, Timaru) 24; R. Shirley (Meadowbank) 26, B. Johns (Christchurch) 17; W. Mercer (Edgeware) 21, A. Rowell (Allenton) 20. Section 6: D. Baldwin (Paritutu) 23, M. Gordon (Macandrew Bay) 12; B. McManus (South Brighton) 26, L. Prouting (Kirwee) 22; S. Lawson (Sydenham) 23, E. Armstrong (Akaroa) 22; L. Morrison (Clinton) 30, A. Jones (Darfield) 14; W. Cousins (Taieri) 25, P. Collett (Papanui) 16; R. Hambleton (Taieri) 24, W. Nimmo (Maitai) 13. Section 7: M. Ryder (Waverley) 30, D. Martin (Wakari) 11; N. Kroon (North East Valley) 36, E. Blackmore (Wyndham) 22; J. Harding (Hillsboro) 31, J. Page (Park Avenue) 12; P.

Clark (Johnsonville) 27. E. Patrick (North End) 25; M. Stewart (Papanui) 23, K. Knight (Wyndham) 13; T. Rutherford (Alexandra) 28. M. Marinovich (Gratia) 11.

Section 8: F. Driver (Hampden) 27, M. Richardson (Caledonian) 20; M. Ryder (Onehunga) 32, N. Stanway (St Andrews) 12; A. Huddart (Kaitaia) 22, I. Shand (Fairfield) 21; W. Kane (North End) 27, D. Clark (Papanui) 14; B. Weir (St Clair) 28, J. Andrews (Christchurch R.S.A.) 11; G. Toneycliffe 28, L. Beighton (Forbury Park) 16.

Section 9: B. Papps (Meadowbank) 21, N. McMaster (Glenfield) 19; W. Wilkinson (Beckenham) 23, M. Nairn (Leeston) 17; C. Walsh (United) 24, W. Brown (Caversham) 23; J. Walls (Kaituna) 33, R. Hight (Ashbury) 15; M. Wilson (Mornington) 22, J. Robertson (Meadowbank) 14; I. Dickison (Kaikorai) 37, M. Reid (Elmwood) 10. Section 10: R. Cumming (North End) 34, R. Gold (Weston) 20; B. McNish (Milton) 28, W. Barron (Balclutha) 21; R. Lienert (Ashbury) 30, H. Crosswell (Woodlands) 12; R. Noble (Hillsboro) 32, L. Grelet (Green Island) 14; A. Watt (Palmerston) 29, L. Tomlins (Southland) 25; P. Dickison (St Clair) 32, C. Hutchison (North East Valley) 17.

Second round: Sections one and two a bye into next round.

Section 3: Bambery 24, McGimpsey 19; Jones 22, Batchelor 18; McConnell 21, Heeney 19. Section 4: Cartwright 27, I. Dickison 16; Dale 21, Mears 19; Jones 2, Dickinson 19. Section 5: Stuart 26, Patrick 12; Solly 19, Johnstone 18; Mercer 29, Shirley 15. Section 6: Baldwin 35, McManus 27; Morrison 30, Lawson 25; Cousins 27, Hambleton 11.

Section 7: Kroon 27, Ryder 18; Harding 30, Clark 6; Rutherford 27, Stewart 24.

Section 8: Ryder 25, Driver 24; Kane 25, Huddart 23; Weir 23, Toneycliffe 22. Section 9: Papps 21, Wilkinson 18; Walls 25, Walsh 22; Dickison 27, Wilson 20.

Section 10: Cumming 23, McNish 22; Lienert 29, Noble 11; Dickison 28, Watt 27.