SOUTHLAND WINS PAIRS TITLE

Southland Times, Issue 23767, 15 March 1939, Page 12

SOUTHLAND WINS PAIRS TITLE

Bowls Championship Decided SUCCESS OF TORRANCE AND WILDERMOTH The Southland Bowling Centre’s champion-of-champions pairs event was decided on the Northend green last evening, Southland (L. H. Wildermoth and D. K. Torrance) beating Georgetown (L. Smith and A. Glover) in the final game by one point. The scores were: Southland 17, Georgetown 16. The Southland pair went through the championship without defeat. In one of the earlier rounds, played on Saturday, Southland beat Georgetown. Both games produced play of a high standard. Playing conditions were almost perfect for the final last evening. A dead calm and a true-running green enabled the players to draw with accuracy and practically without exception the heads were well played. Georgetown scored on 10 of the 19 ends played and generally drew better than Southland, but the greater experience and the sound tactics of the winning pair gave it the slight advantage which meant the difference between success and defeat. Wildermoth and Torrance make up one of the strongest pairs in Southland. They have had a successful season and in addition to winning the Southland Club championship, the New Year pairs and the champion-of-champion pairs they are part holders of the Mayor’s pairs. With the title in the championship decided last evenin’ goes the J. D. Campbell Cup given for competition for the first time last year. Northend was the first holder. The game last night was watched by a big gallery of spectators. Georgetown opened the scoring with a single on the first end. Southland equalized on the second and took the lead with a single on the third. Good drawing by both Smith and Glover on the next three ends gave Georgetown a good lead, a four on the sixth end taking its total to seven.

Southland scored three on a loose seventh, but it was unable to overtake Georgetown until the fifteenth where both the lead and skip of Georgetown failed and Southland got a five. Just a head or two before Torrance saved a certain five by drawing the shot. On another occasion he drew second shot when Georgetown was lying five. At the fifteenth the scores were: Southland 13, Georgetown 12. It was the first time since the opening ends that Southland had taken the lead. At this stage the play of the Georgetown pair fell away and the drawing of Southland improved. Two twos to Southland placed it in a good position with only two ends to play. Georgetown fought back, however, and after Glover had run out two Southland shot bowls, he had an excellent chance to make it five with his last. One Southland bowl held up two or three Georgetown shots and a firm draw to that bowl would have given Georgetown a tieing five. Glover, who had been drawing particularly well fell short with his last, but Georgetown scored three on the head, and with an end to play the scores were: Southland 17, Georgetown 15. Good drawing marked the final end. Georgetown lay a possible tie but Torrance with his last bowl but one put the result beyond doubt by drawing the second shot. Both teams were warmly applauded for a good display. Mr T. R. Pryde, president of the Southland Centre, handed the Campbell Cup to the winning skip and. complimented both teams on the high standard of bowls played. He specially referred to the excellent performance of the Georgetown pair who had fought splendidly against a strong and experienced pair. Cheers was given for both pairs.

MATCH FOR CHALLENGE CUP DRAWN In a bowls match played at Winton for the Riverhead Gold Challenge Cup, which was presented by Mr G. W. Walters, of Winton, for challenge matches between the Invercargill Returned Soldiers’ Association Club and the Winton Returned Soldiers' Association Club, a draw resulted, the scores being 61 all.

Details were:— I. w. Brown, Bruce, Fraser, Spencer Hewitt, H. Molloy, McGregor, 15 — Ward —— 22 Smith, Fox, Macklam, Aslett 19 — Bromley, Hom, Moore, Driscoll — 23 Kissell, Sheean, McKenzie, Davis 27 —— O’Neill, Walters, Dyer, J, Molloy — 16 TOTALS 61 61