Edwards’ dream team knocked out in fours

Dunedin’s Kay Hammond posted a dramatic victory in the quarterfinals of the women’s fours at the New Zealand bowls championships in Dunedin yesterday.

Hammond is skipping three Canterbury players – Raelene Peters, Nicky Reed and Julie Adams – and they caused the boilover of the day when they eliminated the women’s dream team of Tayla Bruce, Kirsten Edwards, Val Smith and Jo Edwards 18-17.

It was a nailbiting affair which was only decided on an extra end.

Hammond led 10-4 early, before Edwards’ side, the champions from 2017, grabbed the initiative 13-10. But things tightened up to 14-all with four ends. The teams then exchanged singles and twos on the remaining ends to force the game into overtime.

On the extra end, both sides struggled to determine who held shot before Hammond, with her last bowl, pushed into one of her own team’s bowls, moving it in for shot. Edwards missed the whole head, and the upset was complete.

Hammond was set to meet an almost equally imposing side in the semifinals – Selina Goddard, Amy McIlroy, Serena Matthews and Sandra Keith.

Keith’s side, by virtue of a seven during the match, beat Canadian international Kelly McKerihen 23-14.

The other women’s semifinal sees Doreen Bell, Mary Ross, Carolyn Crawford and Ann Muir up against Angela Boyd, Sheryl McLean, Leigh Griffin and Mandy Boyd. In the last eight, Muir accounted for Catherine Bien 24-4 and Boyd defeated Katelyn Inch 17-9.

In the men’s fours, Peter Belliss, the 2017 men’s winner, fell by the wayside 13-9 to Raymond Martin in the second round, after both had opening byes.

But the other high profile sides, Sheldon Bagrie-Howley, Michael Kernaghan and Ali Forsyth all emerged from the first two rounds without too much stress.

Forsyth’s powerful side was into the last eight, where it was due to meet Mike Solomon, while the other confirmed quarterfinal was between two consistent performers for many years, Bruce McNish and Rob Ashton.

McNish had come from behind in the opening round to beat Andrew Kelly 16-15 and then beat Colin Gawith 20-15 in the next round. Solomon ran the jack into the ditch with his last delivery to beat Australian visitor Tony Wood 22-19.

Following his fine victory over Belliss, Martin was due to meet Joseph Van Der Penmen in the last 16. Other matches at the same stage had Russell Dawe against Bagrie-Howley, Joko Susilo playing Lance Pascoe and Rod Fleming meeting Kernaghan.