Defending fours champion qualifies

Press, 17 June 1988, Page 48

Defending fours champion qualifies

The defending fours champion, Jim Bullen, of Upper Hutt Valley, qualified with three straight wins in section play for the fours at the Landbase national indoor bowls championships in Pioneer Stadium, Christchurch yesterday. Bullen’s team need not worry about coming up against the team it beat in the final last year as Bruce Meyer’s Manawatu four is not taking part this year. However, a number of' top teams have qualified including Canterbury’s

Lloyd Bellis, the Paterson Trophy captain, and the former fours winner Alf Williamson, runner-up of this year’s singles title. 'Two double national champions, Trevor Wright and Graham Paderson, both from Waikato, also qualified. Joining them in post section play tomorrow will be another strong Waikato combination, skipped by the four times national title holder, Rod Fleming, Colin Taylor’s Auckland four, who were third equal in the North Island fours two weeks

ago, and Terry O’Connor, of Manukau. Surprise eliminations from the field were singles runner-up, Leon McLennan, of Canterbury, and another Canterbury team, skipped by the South Island represenative, Maurice Berkeley. A national representative, Bill Kane, of Southland, missed out, as did Ron Inglis’ Golden Bay four. Inglis is a former ■winner of the fours title. Thirty-three Canterbury teams of the 152 which started made it through to post section play.