Read bowls over McIlroy
North Harbour youngster Darryl Read set alight the first day of the New Zealand bowls championships in Auckland yesterday, downing New Zealand and world singles champion Shannon McIlroy 21-18 in the opening round.
Read, who learned his craft at the coastal Taranaki Club of Rahotu and now is a dual member of Belmont Park and Takapuna, backed up his outstanding win by claiming victories in the next two rounds to qualify.
In round two, he beat Neil Barron, a former semifinalist, 21-14, then saw off Kevin Beasley’s challenge 21-17.
McIlroy’s day improved significantly after his setback.
He beat former Black Jack Jamie Hill 21-6 and won twice in the afternoon to be among the qualifiers.
Hill also sneaked through with a fourth round 21-18 effort over Beasley.
Gary Lawson, who heads the men’s all time list with 13 titles at the nationals, also got off to a bad start, losing 21-18 to George Lyddiard.
But he then beat well-known names Rob Ashton 21-9, Chris Le Lievre 21-5 and Finbar McGuigan 21-9.
Among the more impressive players to win three-straight were the 2007 champion Tony Grantham, Seamus Curtin, Dean Drummond and Alex Reed.
But Dean Elgar, the 2017 winner, and Maurice Symes both missed out.
Meanwhile in the women’s pairs, just eight of the 70 teams won all three games.
Heading that list was Black Jack Val Smith, who is teamed with Lisa Prideaux. They beat Jenny Hardie 22-6, defeated Iris Dickson 19-8 and then in one of the feature games of the day, accounted for Clare Hendra 20-16.
Hendra, who is skipping fellow Black Jack Tayla Bruce, had opened with two wins.
The other unbeaten skips are Patsy Robinson, Diane Strawbridge, Reen Stratford, the ageless Alison Rennie, former international Wendy Jensen, Josie Mitchell and Adele Ineson.
Ashleigh Jeffcoat and Dale Rayner, winners in 2017 and runners-up last season, need to win their three remaining games to qualify after only one win.
Three-time champion Mary Campbell, this time paired with Robyn Davis, exited with three agonising one-point loses.
The women continue with pairs qualifying today, while the men’s pairs begins today.