Prominent bowler dies

Press, 2 March 1984, Page 10

Prominent bowler dies

The death this week of Bill Cogswell means that three of the six bowlers who brought great distinction to the St Albans club in the years 1966 to 1972 have now passed on. The two who predeceased Cogswell were Bruce Sinclair and Harold Hartley, and the three still living are Wally Wilkinson, Jack Edmonds and Andy Hughes, who was Cogswell’s brother-in-law. Between them these six players were placed in five national championships in as many years, and they collected a number of centre titles as well.

Cogswell was initially the senior skip of the group. He later played third for Wilkinson and it was in this role that he played probably his greatest game. That was the national fours final at Wellington in 1971, a game Wilkinson lost narrowly to Jack Somerville, of Rewa. Although on the losing side, Cogswell played superbly to have the better of his rival, a somewhat more flamboyant bowler by the name of Nick Unkovich, who was then emerging from the ranks. Bill Cogswell was, in fact, a very quiet and unassuming man. He had a very long career in bowls, which started in Greymouth in the early 19205. His occupation as a policeman moved him around the country, but he had a long stay in Darfield and he was a member of the Linwood club before moving to St Albans.

He was a past-president and life member of the Darfield Club, and he also had many years on the Christchurch centre, including a term as president. But despite the many titles he won, and there were many at club level, Cogswell will be best remembered for two things on the green: as a ’driver who relied on precision rather than pace to be one of the best players of the shot in Canterbury and for the pipe that was always clenched firmly in his teeth, and which never seemed to go out.