PEOPLE IN SPORT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23217, 31 March 1950, Page 4 (Supplement)

PEOPLE IN SPORT

s. McKenzie

Bowls - Rugby - Cricket

A top class bowler, Mr. Stan. McKenzie, of Gisborne, has an impressive list of successes, the key to which has been consistency. McKenzie, whose greatest triumph was in 1939 when he won the Gisborne-East Coast Centre singles championship, pairs championship and rinks championship, has been connected with the sport since 1915 several years after his return from the Boer War. His triple-title performance in 1939, it is believed, has not been equalled in this centre. McKenzie in his early thirties had watched bowls and dismissed the sport as “an old man’s game,’’ but when he met Mr. A. Franklin, then secretary of the Manaia Bowling Club (Taranaki), he became interested. He joined the club in 1915 and skipped rinks three seasons later. His first success was in 1918 when he took the club singles championship. As a Government dairy inspector for 33 years he was transferred to a number of centres, and while a member of the Hikurangi club, North Auckland, from 1919 lo 1926. lie won three club singles championships and also the major Whangnrci, Kensington, Waipu and Hikurangi tournaments in 1926, in addition to four smaller one-day tourneys.

In 1927 he was transferred to Kawa Kawa, where he remained until 1931, winning the club singles championship over three years. From 1919 to 1931 his successes in tournaments totalled 56.

He took up residence in Gisborne in 1931 and joined the Poverty Bay club, winning the club singles championship in 1934, 1935, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1947 and 1950. He was beaten by H. M. Ritchie in 1941 and 1946, A. L. Slight in 1942, G. Holland in 1944, J. H. Robinson in 1948, and H. Barnett in 1949. Burton Cup Winner

He took premier district bowling honours—the Burton Cup—about 1941, besides winning the Peace Shield singles title on two occasions. In the centre champion of champion contests he won the singles title four times, the pairs title seven times and skipped the winning fours on nine occasions. His list of club championship successes, totalling 30. consist of eight singles titles, nine pairs and 13 fours. He won at the Tolaga Bay tourney twice and a Wairoa tourney on one occasion. McKenzie attributes his success in bowling to liis first coach, Mr. Franklin, who would not allow him to proceed with play until he had learned the correct balance and action of delivery. From the age of seven to 39 McKenzie was a consistent Rugby player. He shone in place-kicking, which won many games. For a period of five years in the first decade of the century McKenzie took a keen interest in cricket, playing in the Dannevirke and Pongnroa districts. His best knock in district matches was 112, while he took seven wickets for 16 runs, including the hat trick, in another competition game.