Competitors at the Men’s National 2-4-2 pairs were not as lucky as their Women’s counterpart as the Semi-finals were wash-out last Sunday afternoon, April 6.
While the women’s Semi-finals were completed on schedule the week before (exactly an hour before a widespread area of the territory was hit by hailstorm), the Men’s Semis were postponed until this weekend.
The Men’s Quarter-finals went ahead as scheduled on Sunday morning in four venues, under an overcast sky and a number of surprise results were recorded.
Hong Kong top bowler Ken Chan, who partnered with retired police officer Mike Dowie to represent Kowloon Cricket Club, was knocked out convincingly by George Chan and KC Ching from Indian Recreation Club. The scoreline of 20:11 meant that the game did not even need to complete the last end to decide the winner.
The runners-up last year, KW Chung and Alfred Ng from Golden Bauhinia Lawn Bowls Club, was also eliminated at this round, losing out to OB Adem and Yau Ka Kwong from The Association of H.K. Yunnan Fellow Provincials.
The defending champion Anthony Yip, who partnered Hong Kong team player Stanley Lai to represent Kowloon Bowling Green Club, was defeated at home by the See brothers, Pak Ki and Chung Ki, from the Fire Service Lawn Bowls Club.
The Fire Service duo will play Stephen Sy and Kevin Ho from the Filipino Club in the Semi-final, who dispatched Ben Luk and Paul Pang from the Police team.
The spontaneous rain patches during the Quarter-finals were getting heavier as the day progressed and the Semi-finals, originally scheduled for the afternoon, were cancelled.
The games have been rescheduled to be played at Craigengower Cricket Club for this Saturday morning, alongside the Finals of the Men’s and Women’s Champion of Champions Singles competition.
The Men’s and Women’s Final of the National 2-4-2 Pairs are scheduled to be played the same afternoon at CCC.
Claudius Lam is an Officer with the Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association.
