McIlroy out as Fabling launches comeback
In staging one of the most remarkable comebacks seen at the New Zealand bowls championships, Hillcrest’s Tony Fabling secured a place in the men’s singles final in Auckland yesterday.
Fabling, with three Waikato titles plus the Auckland-run NZ Open singles crown to his credit, set himself up for the biggest moment in his 13 years in bowls, when he ousted, against all predictions, Stoke’s Shannon McIlroy 21-20 with his final delivery in the semifinals.
McIlroy had looked odds-on to be heading for his third singles title in four years when he led 15-1.
However, Fabling displayed a coolness under fire that saw him reduce the deficit to 16-9 and then he turned it up even more.
‘‘Once I got down by a fortune, I just tried to get a few points to not embarrass myself,’’ Fabling said.
‘‘I’m just incredibly lucky . . . I got a few close. But there’s a game to go.’’
Fabling’s opponent in the final will be Mangere’s Taylor Horn. Horn, a finalist in the men’s fours last season and a past NZ Open pairs winner, defeated Musgrave Hill’s Chris Le Lievre 21-17 in the semifinals.
Hinuera’s Debbie White ensured that Waikato will also be represented in the women’s singles final when she beat Stoke’s Kirsten Edwards 21-19 in a tense semifinal. It illustrated that White, with 13 Waikato titles plus four national club crowns, had sufficient steel to compete at the highest level.
White’s opponent in the final will be Carlton Cornwall’s Selina Goddard. Goddard, the champion of two years ago, overcame an early 5-0 deficit against Te Rangi’s Sarah Scott to win 21-10.
Thames Valley’s Karl Garrett and Colin Gawith advanced to the men’s pairs final when they ousted Victoria’s Richard Corry and Raymond Martin 17-13 in the semifinals.
They led for the majority of their semifinal, gaining more of an edge from the mid-point. Playing the last end, Corry and Martin trailed by three shots. They held three before Gawith with the final bowl of the match drove the jack into the ditch to ensure victory.
Mangere’s Jordan King and Chris Lowe, who have been highly successful in Auckland, are the second finalists. With King leading expertly, the duo came from 5-1 down in the semis to trounce the Taranaki pair of Gerry O’Sullivan and Dean Elgar 22-5.
The women’s pairs final will be between Linda Ralph and Reen Stratford against Lisa Prideaux and Val Smith.
Ralph and Stratford were far too hot for Goddard and Amy McIlroy. Even though a four on the eighth end kept Goddard and McIlroy in touch at 8-6 behind, Ralph and Stratford pulled away to win 17-10.
Prideaux and Smith won the other semi emphatically, 22-3 over Te Atutu Peninsula’s Robyn Reihana and Marion Hakaraia.
The pairs finals start at Carlton Cornwall at 9am today, with the singles finals to follow.