Near upset in bowls

Press, 23 November 1987, Page 27

Near upset in bowls

Woolston Park I within a. whisker of upsetting defending champion, Spreydon I, in the National Mutual Three Fours Championship bowls on Saturday. Spreydon I eventually won the fourth round thriller, 6358 (aggregate), Spreydon I won two of the three rubbers to snatch six points while the hosts had to be content with two. Bruce McNish, a former New Zealand fours champion skippered one of Spreydon I’s sides to a 21-15 win over Ron Bodger’s team. This lead was flattened when David Gillespie led his trio to a handsome, 25-19 triumph over Alan Briden’s crew. The decider was an absolute gem of a match, with Ron Matheson’s group proving a little better than Tony Deans’ outfit, 23-18. McNish 21, Bodger 15 McNish’s team of Terry Darby, Ray Hunt and Jonathan Flint controlled this game from the start. By the tenth end, it had shot to a comfortable, 13-5 lead. But Bodger, Norm Wales, Pat Neame and Alan Rule did not lose heart and narrowed the deficit to 12-15. at the end of the sixteenth round. The game was still open as Spreydon I led, 17-14, by the eighteenth end.

However, Woolston Park I ran out of ammunition and surrendered meekly in the final three rounds.

Gillespie 25, Briden 19 This duel was a virtual repeat of the previous, except honours went to Woolston Park I.

Gillespie’s team of Gary Bodger, Doug English and Steven Godfrey was in sterling form and chiselled a 20-9 lead by the fourteenth. But, by the twentieth end, only three points separated the teams. The result as confirmed in style in the final end as Woolston Park I stole three shots to come out deserved winners. Matheson 23, Deans 18 Matheson, Roger Norton, John Miller and Wyn Morgan set the early pace and led, 93, at the end of the fifth. Five ends later, Spreydon I was looking down the barrel as the hosts shot to a 11-9 lead. The lead then changed hands several times and by the eighteenth, it was locked at 17-17. Deans’ team edged in front, 18-17, in the next end and looked set to win. The champions had two breaks of three to gobble the match, 23-18. Results.-— Division 1A: Woolston

Park green.— v. Spreydon I — Deane 18, Mathieson 23; Gillespie 25, Bryden 19; Bodger 15, McNish 21. Sumner green v. Papanui.— Johns 21, Judson 20; Poole 25; Browning 25; Jackson 22, Clarke 14; Sumner 68, Papanui 59.

Burnside green: v. Linwood — Howman 21, Bailey 13; Shivas 20, Muirson 23; Buttar 15, Saundercock 21; Burnside 56, Linwood 57. South Brighton 1 green: v Sydenham — Thomas 16, Barry 24; Meier 24, Lawson 8; Stanley 19, Cunningham 11; South Brighton 59, Sydenham 43.

Division IB: Woolston WMC I green.— v. Burnside — Memory 20, Stuart 22; Palmer 17, Jury 26, Chick 16, Remi 15; Woolston WMC 53, Burnside 63.

St Albans 1 green.— v. Papanui — Gardner 9, Gill 22; Davis 18, Dale 28; Truscott 19, McGowan 22; St Albans 46, Papanui 72. Papanui 3 green.— v. Rangiora — Bryce 23, Higginson 18; Boyd 8, Scrimgeor 30; Armstrong 23, Campbell 14; Papanui 54, Rangiora 62. Kaiapoi 1 green.— v. Hornby WMC - Griffin 20, McLauchlan 14; Cope 19, Black 25; Matthews 20, Tomlinson 18; Kaiapoi 59, Hornby 57.