Few problems for big names
The big names had little trouble advancing through qualifying in the men’s singles on the first day of the New Zealand Bowls Championships in Taranaki yesterday.
Current New Zealand reps – and world champions – Ali Forsyth and Blake Signal, and former world champions, Peter Belliss, Richard Girvan and Gary Lawson, all went through with three-straight wins.
One of the more impressive four winners on the day was Opononi’s Ian Lewis, the current singles champion in the Far North. He won three by large margins, including a 21-7 win over New Zealand age-grade rep Dean Drummond (Hastings).
Other players to catch the eye by winning the first three games were Dean Elgar (Vogeltown), Darren Goodin (Paritutu), Rob Ashton (Carlton Cornwall), Raymond Martin (Victoria), John Carruthers (Carlton Cornwall), Mark Noble (Takaro) and Richard Hocking (Burnside). The Fisher brothers, Neil and Ian, also qualified without incurring a loss.
Paritutu’s Brian Baldwin, who has been resident on the Gold Coast for 17 years, qualified the hard way. After being soundly beaten 21-9 in the opening round by Neville Rodda (Victoria), Baldwin rebounded to win the rest.
Among the more prominent names not to qualify were Raika Gregory (Hinuera), Philip Skoglund (Eastbourne) and Sheldon Bagrie-howley (Gore).
Other Taranaki qualifiers were Chris Barrett (Inglewood), Aidan Zittersteijn (Vogeltown), Neil Candy (West End), Frank Pollock (Hawera Park), Grant Pease (Fitzroy), Scott Roberts (Nolantown), Clive Phillips (Alton) and Gavin Crow (Paritutu), whose father Ace won the pairs title in 1983.
The men play pairs today and tomorrow.
There were a few major surprises but nothing terminal on the first day of section play in the women’s pairs.
One of the best games occurred in the second round when Ann Muir (Kensington) and Carolyn Crawford (St Clair), the champions of three seasons ago, beat the favoured duo of Jo Edwards (United) and Val Smith (Merrylands) 19-18.
After the pairs were locked at 16-all with two ends remaining, Muir and Crawford scored a three. The 2008 world champions could only muster two on the last end. Muir and Crawford finished with three wins, while Edwards and Smith managed two victories – but only just.
They sneaked home 19-18 in the third round over fellow two winners, Natarsha Grimshaw and Leeane Poulson (Papakura). The Counties pair led for most of the game and headed into the last head one in front.
They were still in pole position on the change-over, but Edwards drew two fine shots to save the day.
Three further rounds will be played today, with pairs needing four wins in total to qualify.