Former champs fail to qualify in pairs

The failure of Ashleigh Jeffcoat and Dale Rayner to qualify in the women’s pairs was the major surprise at the national championships in Auckland yesterday.

The pair were champions in 2017 and beaten finalists last year, but failed this time to accumulate the necessary four wins from six games to qualify.

After just one victory on Wednesday, Jeffcoat and Rayner won in rounds four and five yesterday, but an 18-14 loss in round six to Bowls3five winner Jenny Stockford and Jo McKenna spelt the end for the pair.

With the win, Stockford and McKenna became one of the 29 pairs to advance to tomorrow’s post section rounds.

There were other casualties. Ann Muir, the 2014 champion, who was teamed with Sue Wightman, the 2009 singles winner, lost their last two games to miss out, while Bev Crowe and Karen de Jongh, and Rebecca Jelley and Jan Shirley, both also exited.

There was a scare for past Black Jacks Selina Goddard and Amy McIlroy when they suffered their second loss, 19-11 to the Linda Ralph and Reen Stratford combination.

But the 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallists responded emphatically in the last round to qualify.

Only four pairs survived section play without a loss. They were Ralph and Stratford, Henderson’s Lenice Baker and Josie Mitchell, Anne Dorreen and Wendy Jensen, and Lisa Prideaux and Val Smith.

Just like on Wednesday in the singles, both Shannon McIlroy and Gary Lawson started yesterday with losses in the men’s pairs.

McIlroy, who is skipping Justin Goodwin, fell 15-13 to Hinuera’s Graeme Heward and Gerrard Slattery. But they won twice after that to remain in a comfortable position. They need two further wins from the three games today to qualify.