Toomey leaves best till last in final
In a dramatic final, which was anyone’s contest, Victoria’s Nicole Toomey claimed the women’s singles title at the national bowls championships in Auckland yesterday.
Toomey defeated Mandy Boyd (Elmwood Park) 21-18 in the decider with a consistent display – and a spectacular final delivery.
Leading 19-18 in the race to 21, Toomey inspected the head prior to her last bowl.
‘‘I was unsure who had shot,’’ Toomey said. ‘‘So I just tried to get as close as I could.’’
She did better than that, trailing the jack for four shots.
With her last bowl, Boyd reduced the count to two, but just failed to keep the game alive.
Toomey won 13 ends compared to the eight that went Boyd’s way, which perhaps illustrated best that she was the more consistent draw player.
But Boyd kept in contest through scoring numbers – two fours and two threes – and a strong attacking game.
While Toomey led 12-7 midgame, a four to Boyd on the next turned the tide. Boyd in fact got out to 18-14 in front. However, Toomey regained her draw play to take the initiative and last four ends.
Toomey was introduced to bowls by her late father, Peter.
‘‘He was the inspiration for this. I know he was looking down on me,’’ Toomey said with tears of joy and emotion.
Earlier in the semifinals, Boyd ousted Linda Ralph (Carlton Cornwall) 21-11. Boyd led 11-0 before Ralph closed to 17-11. But four shots to Boyd on the next end sealed the result.
In the other semifinal, Toomey wore down Connie Mathieson (Takapuna) 21-10, having led 11-7.
Meanwhile, at print deadline, players in the men’s pairs were still battling for positions in the quarterfinals ahead of today’s final rounds.
The first of the quarterfinalists are the powerful composite pair of Lance Pascoe and Jamie Hill, who advanced 21-4 over Takapuna’s Trevor Forward and Garry Banks in the last
16. The latter duo had ousted Seamus Curtin and Shannon McIlroy 15-10 in the previous round.
Blackjacks Andrew Kelly and Gary Lawson exited in round three, going down 20-17 to the Bay of Plenty pair of Nick Tomsett and Dan Dickison. Tomsett and Dickison were tangling with Manawatu’s Terry Curtis and Tim Hook in the last
16, while another big game saw the defending champions from Wellington, Robbie Bennett and Raymond Martin, playing Richard Hocking and Aiden Takarua.
In the previous round, Hocking and Takarua edged Royal Oak’s Martin Dixon and Mike Galloway 17-16. Dixon and Galloway had nosed out Finbar McGuigan and Mike Kernaghan
17-15 in round two.
While the men conclude their pairs today, the women commence their pairs.