Fitchett survives final bowls ordeal

Press, 14 October 1985, Page 48

Fitchett survives final bowls ordeal

Warren Fitchett and his South Brighton team of Dave Wadman, Gavin Good and Peter Meier survived some anxious moments in their last game to win the first of the season’s major bowls tournament, the Lion Brown Masters at Papanui yesterday. Going into the last of the six rounds, Fitchett and Neville Poole (Sumner) were the only unbeaten skips. With heavy rain setting in, this round was reduced to 10 ends and this appeared to serve the interests of both of them. After five ends Poole, whose team was Ron Main, Lance Main and Colin Thompson, led the New Zealand representative, Terry Scott (North East Valley), 63. However, Scott fought back and with five points in the last two ends he snatched victory, 11-8. Fitchett was even better placed when he led Pat Doig (Elmwood) 9-3. But it was Doig who had the lead, 10-9, playing the last end,

and Fitchett was in trouble until he burnt the head. On the replay a fine upshot by Good swung the head South Brighton’s way and the team was able to earn the . two it needed for victory. For Meier, Fitchett’s No. 3, it was his second win in the $3OOO event, the first being when he played at No. 2 for Tom Dixon in 1980. Four teams finished with five wins and it was John Gill, of the host club, who took second prize with a S lints differential of plus 38. oole was third with plus 26, Neil Banfield (Spreydon) fourth, plus 23, and Gary Andrews (St Clair), fifth, plus 20. Gill's team was Evan Ambrose, Owen Tomlinson and Murray Clements, while Banfield was partnered by Wallace Reid, Bill McDonald and Bob Cullen.

The sixth, and final, prize went to Roy Spear (Edgeware). He pipped Alan

Stuart (Burnside), Ken Watson (Linwood), John Saundercock (Linwood) and Graham Stanley (South Brighton), all four-game winners, on differentials.

There were six unbeaten teams after the first three rounds on Saturday, Fitchett, Poole, Gill, Andrews, Banfield and Brian McGowan (Papanui). McGowan, who twice scored five points on the last end to win games on Saturday, had no such luck yesterday, losing all his three games. Gill and Andrews both stumbled in the fourth round,.Gill losing 19-13 to Alan Stuart (Burnside) and Fitchett pushing Andrews from the leaders’ board with a 15-11 victory. It was Andrews, though, who spoilt Banfield’s record with a 19-17 win in the fifth round.

Scott finished with three wins, as also did two other top visiting skips, Phil Skoglund and Kevin Wing, both Palmerston North.