Thompson has biggest win of career

Press, 24 February 1986, Page 26

Thompson has biggest win of career

Colin Thompson (Sumner) had his biggest win in his 12 years of bowls when he won the Canterbury champion-of-champions singles title on the Christchurch green yesterday. Thompson, aged 43, has been rated as a handy player for some years, although his only previous centre final was at fours early in his career.

After his 25-17 win over Alan Griffin (Kaiapoi) in yesterday’s final, he said that right from his first game on Saturday morning he had felt good.

"I was relaxed and the bowls were running for me. It helped that in all my games I got off to a good start and this gave me more confidence,” he said. Flying starts certainly assisted him in his two games yesterday. He was the underdog in his semi-final against

Ken Watson (Linwood), but

his drawing was the more - consistent and by the four-

teenth end he had pushed an early 7-1 lead to 15-6. ■ At 20-11 he looked fairly safe, although Watson did play well towards the finish and twice had fours within his reach.

On the final end, to a long head, Watson had three, possibly four, until Thompson, on a hand which he had barely played, drew a magnificent game-winning shot. Griffin, whose continued involvement meant that the champion-of-champions fours final could not be played yesterday, reached the final by beating Bob Cant (Leeston).

Cant looked to be on the way to an upset when he led 12-5, but then Griffin came to terms better with the pace of the green and he ran up 16 points while Cant could manage only one. The pattern for both players carried on into the final. Thompson was quickly into stride, while Griffin, who

had the longer wait between games, had trouble with his weight. Thompson was ahead 8-0 and 13-3 before Griffin started to find his true form. He closed the gap to 18-13 and then 21-17, and with a little more luck on his side he could well have narrowed it further.

Thompson was always playing like a winner. He never had a bad head and he eventually reached the target of 25 when he won a measure on the twenty-eighth end.' For his efforts Thompson collected the prestigious Maddison Trophy and he also gets a trip to the national cham-pion-of-champions in Nelson next month. Results:

Third round: B. Ware (R.S.A.) 21, D. Jones (Cust) 10; A. Griffin (Kaiapoi) 21, L. Tredinnick (ChristchurchRichmond M.S.A.) 11; R. Cant (Leeston) 22, N. Young (Canterbury) 18; J. McAllister (Dallington) 21, W. Barber (Papanui) 19; G. Beaumont (Redcliffs) 21, E. Haigh (Cashmere) 18; C. Thompson (Sumner) 21, G. Thomas (Lincoln) 6; A. Williamson (Edgeware) 21, G. Rees (Morrison Avenue) 20; K. Watson (Linwood) 21, W. Newburgh (Elmwood) 10. Quarter-finals: Griffin 21, Ware 11; Cant 21, McAllister 14; Thompson 21, Beaumont 17; Watson 21, Williamson 7. Semi-finals: Griffin 21, Cant 31; Thompson 21, Watson 13. Final: Thompson 25, Griffin 17. r