Prideaux, Smith win pairs thriller
In staging a remarkable recovery, Lisa Prideaux (Carlton Cornwall) and Val Smith (Nelson) collected their second women’s pairs title within three years at the New Zealand bowls championships in Auckland yesterday.
Prideaux and Smith edged Selina Smith (Takapuna) and Dale Rayner (Johnsonville) 17-16 to resecure the crown they also won in 2019.
It was a close-run affair, with Rayner just missing out with her last delivery as she tried to reduce the count on the last end. She and Selina Smith had started the last end one shot in front, but Prideaux drew three good shots to wrestle the ascendency.
Rayner sat on the second shot with her last bowl, but on the wrong side of it, leaving Prideaux and Val Smith with the title.
It was a frustrating conclusion for Selina Smith, who had dominated the lead battle for much of the final, and Rayner.
After dropping a loose five on the fifth head, the duo claimed nine shots on the next three ends to lead 13-7. Two ends later it had become 15-8.
But Val Smith showed the class that has taken her to two world championship titles. She converted the next three ends to close the score to 15-12.
In the semifinals, Prideaux and Smith overturned a 7-3 deficit to beat St Heliers’ Paula Kempthorne and Sue Curran 18-11.
In the other semifinal, Selina Smith and Rayner edged Tayla Bruce (Burnside) and Clare Hendra (Silverstream) 13-11. Rayner drew a front toucher on the last end to break the deadlock.
Later in the day, Royal Oak’s Michael Galloway became the men’s singles champion when he beat Carlton Cornwall’s Rory Soden 21-9 in an all-Auckland decider.
Galloway galloped away to a stunning 16-1 lead in the final.
Soden offered a brief flicker of hope when a three reduced the score to 17-7. Galloway then took three singles.
He had to wait for three further ends to seal the deal – but it came with a superb draw shot.
Galloway originally hails from Palmerston North where he first established himself in the bowls world and where his father Stan and grandfather Ken were also successful.
He has been domiciled in Auckland for 25 years and prior to yesterday he had previously represented New Zealand and also won the national pairs in 2001.
But the singles title is his biggest moment in the game. ‘‘The whole thing is a big surreal,’’ an elated Galloway said.
Galloway ousted the 2020 winner, Andrew Kelly (Canterbury), 21-12 in one semifinal. Soden held off Finbar McGuigan (Stokes Valley) 21-19 in the other match, having led 13-7.
In the quarterfinals, Galloway beat Tim Hook (Takaro, Palmerston North) 21-17, Kelly defeated Sheldon Bagrie-Howley (Gore) 21-14, Soden edged clubmate Raika Gregory 21-17, with McGuigan getting past Keanu Darby (North East Valley, Dunedin) 21-17.