Manawatu women dominate
South Canterbury men win pairs
LYNLEA Rogers had a magic magnet that kept drawing her bowls to the jack as she won her first individual national bowls title in Dunedin last evening.
Rogers’ lead bowls were decisive as she combined with Mere Fryer to help Terrace End (Manawatu) win the New Zealand club pairs title at the Dunedin Indoor Stadium.
They completely dominated Clare Hendra and Kennie Critchlow (Silverstream, Wellington) 266 to win the title.
Rogers had been a member of three Terrace End teams that had won the national interclub sevens title but this was the first individual title for both bowlers.
‘‘I’m very excited. I’m pleased I came down here,’’ Rogers (62), a retired insurance adviser, said. ‘‘It’s the first time I’ve played indoors on the carpet and I really loved it.’’
The constant rain yesterday forced the Bowls New Zealand organisers to shift play indoors.
Rogers dominated the lead bowls and drew five touchers during the game.
The most significant ones came from the seventh to the ninth ends, when her touchers remained the shot and took Terrace End to a 104 lead.
The 10th end was decisive, when Terrace End gained six shots to extend its lead to 166. Rogers drew three shots and skip Fryer added three more.
It forced the Silverstream pair to play catchup bowls, which they were unable to do.
Fryer did her bit and made sure that Silverstream did not add any more shots.
Terrace End was one down on the head on the 12th when Fryer drew a toucher with her first bowl and added the bonus shot with her last bowl.
Terrace End scored on 13 of the 16 ends and this emphasised its dominance.
In the quarterfinals it edged ahead of North East Valley’s Sarah Scott and Rachael McDowall 1311 and outplayed Aggie Motu and Kirsty Hill (Pt Chevalier, Auckland) 186 in the semifinals.
Silverstream beat last year’s champions Louise Fitness and Jo Hayes (Taradale, Hawke’s Bay) 2010 in the other semifinal.
The men’s pairs was won comfortably by Scott Fisher and Gary Ford (West End, South Canterbury) when they beat Gordon Bond and Dean McMurchy (Kensington, Northland) 209.
It was the first national title for Ford and the second for Fisher, who won the mixed pairs title three years ago.
The game turned in West End’s favour when it collected a five and four on the ninth and 10th ends to lead 175.
West End beat the Dunedin team of Elliot Mason and Mike Bracegirdle (Forbury Park) 136 in the semifinals.
Forbury Park beat Craig Johns and John Roberts (West End, Taranaki) 148 in the quarterfinals.
Kensington beat Wayne Glogoski and Ray Glogoski (Kerikeri, Far North) 137 in the semifinals.
Section play in the triples will be held at the Dunedin Bowls Stadium today.