Another Boyd rolls into the big time
For some time, Angela Boyd has been known as the sister of Mandy Boyd.
But the Taradale youngster took another big step forward yesterday to carve her own place in the pecking order of bowlers with a commanding performance at the New Zealand bowls championships in Dunedin.
While sister Mandy failed to qualify, Angela Boyd negotiated through the section of death in post section in the women’s singles to qualify for this morning’s quarterfinals.
After beating fellow Black Jack Amy McIlroy ( United) 21- 13 in the second round, Boyd ended the fine run of Johnsonville’s Dale Rayner 21- 7 in the last 16.
Rayner had beaten United’s Jo Edwards, the world’s No 1 ranked female player, in the second round 21- 20.
In the opening round, Rayner had eliminated another Black Jack, Lisa White ( Victoria), 21- 9. Edwards had beaten her long- time pairs companion, Val Smith ( United) 21- 13, overturning an 11- 1 deficit.
Boyd meets Colleen Earl, who upstaged her more illustrious United clubmates by winning three games.
Aside from Boyd, it just wasn’t the day for New Zealand representatives. After two wins, Sandra Keith ( Dunsandel), the winner from two years ago, fell 21- 15 in the last round to Clare McCaul ( Silverstream). McCaul meets former international Janet Swallow ( Taieri) in the quarterfinals.
Other players through to the last eight are Cathy Andrews ( Paritutu), NZ under- 18 rep, Tayla Bruce ( Burnside), former Canada representative Leanne Chinery ( Birkenhead) and Helen King ( Victoria).
Gary Lawson’s hopes of a recordbreaking 11th title at the New Zealand bowls championships are still alive in the pairs – but only just.
Lawson ( Victoria), playing with Ben King ( Wilton), sneaked home 17- 16 in a third round game in Dunedin yesterday to secure his place in the last 16.
A fine Lawson drive helped to net four shots and create a five- shot advantage with three ends to play against Kaikorai’s Kerry Becks and Craig McCaw. However, Becks and McCaw pulled back a three and a two to level things up playing the last head.
King drew a toucher and Becks’ two push shots were fractionally wide of the target.
Blake Signal ( Stokes Valley) and Alvin Gardiner ( Elmwood), who won the title two years ago, made it through with an emphatic 24- 1 victory against St Clair’s Gary Andrews and Ross Stevens. Black Jack Richard Girvan ( Onehunga) and Chris Le Lievre ( Eastbourne) were equally dominant in disposing of Ken Fitness and Adam Booth ( Mangawhai) 20- 2, and are on course to clash with Signal and Gardiner in the quarterfinals, should both teams win their opening game this morning.
Defending champion Ali Forsyth ( Havelock), who is skipping Andre Smith, also won through, albeit after two tough tests. In the second round, the Havelock pair scored an 18- 16 win over Andrew Kelly ( Redcliffs) and Michael Kernaghan ( Kaikorai). And then they squeaked past the strong local pairing of Blair Barringer and Robbie Thomson ( Fairfield) 17- 14 for a spot in the last 16.
However, there will be no repeat of the 1995 triumph for Peter Bellis ( Aramoho) and Lance Tasker ( Birkenhead), after they lost 16- 13 to Doug Thomas ( North East Valley) and Brendon Hollander ( Waihola) 16- 13. The other big casualty was Shannon McIlroy ( Stoke) and Lance Pascoe ( Belfast) – they lost in the opening game.
After two wins, Northern’s Feona Sayles fell in the last 16 of the women’s singles at the New Zealand bowls championships in Dunedin yesterday.
Sayles beat Rachael McDowall ( North East Valley) 21- 9 and Karen Hema ( Carlton Cornwall) 21- 18, before coming unstuck 21- 8 at the hands of Helen King ( Victoria).