McIlroy sounds warning
World champion Shannon McIlroy issued a loud and long warning to all other competitors that he will take some beating after he had a trouble-free day in making the quarter-finals of the men’s singles at the New Zealand bowls championships in Dunedin.
McIlroy won both the New Zealand and world singles crowns in 2016, but elected to not defend his title at the nationals last year. He has returned with conviction this season.
In Wednesday’s post-section rounds, McIlroy (Stoke) blew away Alan Augustson
21-0, got past Alvin Gardiner, the 2015 runner-up, 21-12 and then, in the last 16, accounted for Bradley Down 21-8.
In the quarter-finals, which will be held over the weekend, McIlroy will meet Hikurangi’s Don Cameron. Cameron, a relative unknown outside of Northland, beat Andrew McCallum 21-14 in the last 16.
The other quarter-finals feature Tony Grantham (Browns Bay) against Caleb Hope (Gore), Andrew Kelly (Canterbury) will play Petar Sain (Carlton Cornwall) and Seamus Curtin (Stokes Valley) will meet Ryan Burnett (Broadbeach).
Grantham beat Peter Hodson 21-19 in the battle of two past winners to secure his spot, while Hope continued to make big strides at the championships when he upset past New Zealand rep Richard Girvan 21-16.
Also in the last 16, Kelly pipped Jim Scott
21-20, experience overcame youth when Sain beat Keanu Darby 21-5, but youth overcame experience when Curtain edged out Michael Kernaghan 21-18.
Burnett, a Scotsman, thrashed dual winner Shaun Scott 21-3 in the final round. It was a disappointing end for Scott after he had cleaned out Gary Lawson 21-9 earlier in the day.
After meeting in the first round of section play, Val Smith and Jo Edwards will again square off with defending champions Ashleigh Jeffcoat and Dale Rayner in the semifinals of the women’s pairs after both combinations negotiated post-section play on Wednesday.
Smith and Edwards had a close shave,
18-16 over Barbara Walker in the opening round, before trouncing Lyn Bevin 29-5 and were equally emphatic in the third round in beating fellow national squad members Selina Goddard and Amy McIlroy 21-4.
Jeffcoat and Rayner, after a bye, sneaked past Reen Stratford 15-14, before beating Otago sisters Pam Walker and Jacqui Peterson 19-12 in the last eight.
The other two quarter-finals were tense affairs.
Tayla Bruce and Katelyn Inch nudged out the Boyd sisters, Angela and Mandy, 15-14, and will meet Canterbury’s Sherrie Cottle and the evergreen Bev Morel in the semifinals.
Cottle and Morel, twice a fours champion, had a memorable day beating Sandra Keith
17-13, Christine Buchanan 14-10 and then the mother and daughter combination of Leigh Griffin and Kirsten Edwards 19-13 in the quarterfinals.
Morel led by two playing the second to last end and trailed the jack for four with her final bowl when she had been one down to cement victory.
On Thursday, the men revert to pairs post-section and the women play singles post-section.