Father, son triumph

Press, 25 January 1988, Page 24

Father, son triumph

Gary Lawson and his father Stan from the Sydenham club, created Canterbury bowls history on Saturday when they became the first father and son combination to win the open pairs with a surprisingly easy 18-5 victory over Graham Stanley (South Brighton).

Lawson, aged 20, skipped the winning combination and his success was the continuation of excellent form over the last month. At the national championships in Dunedin he was beaten in a thrilling semi-final by the eventual national champion, Kevin Darling.

He left Dunedin and travelled to Auckland where he won a national junior pairs competition with Steve Smith of Redcliffs, and returned to join his father to collar the centre pairs title. Stanley’s lead was Peter Meier, the skip of the four from South Brighton that won the national fours championship, two weeks ago. When it was learned that these two teams would meet in the final a large crowd turned up at Woolston Park, to watch the John Edmonds, Ltd, sponsored event but they were a little disappointed. Lawson took a three on the first end and that set the scene for the match. He steadily piled on the points and the game was completed after only 14 of the 16 scheduled ends. Lawson had a 5-0 lead before Stanley scored and after eight ends he was ahead 11-3. Stanley scored a two on the ninth end but a three followed by three singles secured the title for Lawson. Meier, who had led so well in the quarter and semi-finals earlier in the day, found his form deserted him in the final and Lawson was quick to capitalise. Results: Quarter-finals: lan Scott (Dallington) 20, Jim Kelly (Dallington)) 7; Graham Stanley (South Brighton) 17, Graham Sandford (Woolston W.M.C.) 6; Peter Collins (Sydenham) 14, John Gill (Papanui) 12; Gary Lawson (Sydenham) 20, Ken Prebble (Burnside) 6. Semi-finals: Stanley 18, Scott 9; Lawson 22, Collins 15. Final: Lawson 18, Stanley 5.