Clements, Buchanan add to tallies of centre titles

MOST competitive bowlers are content if during their careers they claim a handful of centre titles.

Then there are freakish achievers such as Bill Clements, of Alexandra, and Christine Buchanan, of Queenstown, who between them have now won more than 100 centre titles, the latest successes coming in the Central Otago pairs last weekend.

Clements and partner Trevor Ludlow knocked over Dion Kiddy and Kyle McGowan, of Hawea, 1811 in the men’s final 1811 while Buchanan and Debra Lloyd outgunned Omakau’s Pam Walker and Nikki Milne 2113 in the women’s final.

Those results gave Clements his 72nd centre title and Buchanan her 31st.

While Buchanan was in control of her fixtures throughout the weekend, Clements’ chances of progressing to the final looked bleak indeed after he and Ludlow took a 195 batter ing from Queenstowners Lindsay Thomas and Maurice Keith in the opening game on the Saturday.

Kiddy and McGowan, a new recruit to Hawea from Taranaki, also lost their opening encounter, going down to Black Jack Shaun Scott and partner Bob McAuley.

With the pressure on, both combinations won their remaining three fixtures on day one to progress to the postsection stage on Sunday.

In the semifinals, Clements and Ludlow accounted for Pat Houlahan, who claims 25 centre titles, and Ewan Kirk 2214 while Kiddy and McGowan put away Richie Muir and Tom Malcolm, of Wanaka, 169.