Men’s pairs final star-studded affair
One current and two past world champions will be involved in the men’s pairs final at the New Zealand bowls championships in Dunedin today.
Ali Forsyth, the current world fours champion skip, and Gary Lawson, a two-time winner in 2008, will square off against Peter Belliss, who holds three world titles, and Lance Tasker, a national gold star holder, in the final commencing at 9am.
Both combinations were involved tense semifinals.
Tasker and Belliss trailed throughout their match against Justin Goodwin and Shannon McIlroy, but a three on the penultimate end had them level playing the last. Tasker held the advantage on the change-over before McIlroy, on the attack, dislodged the head and came up with shot. Belliss, on the run, removed Goodwin’s bowl to retrieve the shot back. McIlroy’s final drive went between the shot bowl and the jack to leave Tasker and Belliss the victors at 15-13.
Lawson and Forsyth received a hard time from expert lead Graham Low and Paul McKinnel before prevailing 14-11 in the other semi. The margin had been only two shots playing the last end.
In the quarterfinals, Forsyth beat Mike Small 19-14, McKinnel disposed of Nick Sinclair 19-7, Belliss defeated Sheldon Bagrie-Howley 19-12 and McIlroy overcame a couple of nervous moments late in his 16-13 triumph over Bradley Down.
McIlroy also had a few anxious occasions in the singles, but survived two rounds and now finds himself in today’s final against former NZ representative Andrew Kelly.
In the semifinals, McIlroy edged Gore youngster Caleb Hope 21-19, while Kelly came from 12-4 down to beat Stokes Valley 17-year-old Seamus in Curtin 21-14.
The favoured two combinations were upset in the semifinals of the women’s pairs.
Val Smith and Jo Edwards, world champions in 2008, were ousted 13-11 by defending champions Asheligh Jeffcoat and Dale Rayner, while fellow Blackjacks Tayla Bruce and Katelyn Inch went down 17-13 to Sherrie Cottle and Bev Morel.
Smith and Edwards led for the majority of the match, but Jeffcoat (Frankton Junction) and Rayner (Johnsonville) tenaciously hung in, levelling at 11-11, before taking one shot on the penultimate head.
The jack moved about a few times on the last end before Rayner, holding one, drew the jack into the ditch to cement the result.
There was little in the other semi, but a two and a three on the run home gave Cottle and Morel, of Elmwood Park, a six-shot lead playing the last end.
Edwards and Inch managed to overcome their pairs disappointments by advancing to the singles final. Edwards, who needs one more title for a gold star, outclassed Smith 21-5, while Inch, after holding a good lead, managed to see off the challenge from Jeffcoat to win 21-19.
The singles played today, tomorrow.
S McIlroy 21 D Cameron 8, C Hope 21 T Grantham 20, A Kelly 21 P Sain 11, S Curtin 21 R Burnett 17. McIlroy 21 Hope 19, Kelly 21 Curtin 14.
J Goodwin/S McIlroy 16 F McGuigan/B Down 13, L Tasker/P Belliss 19 S Curtin/S Bagrie-Howley 12, G Low/P McKinnel 19 C Horwell/N Sinclair 7, G Lawson/A Forsyth 19 B Williams/M Small 14. Tasker/Belliss 15 Goodwin/McIlroy 13, Lawson/Forsyth 14 Low/ McKinnel 11.
19,
and pairs finals will be with the fours decided
J Edwards 21 V Smith
13 V Smith/J Edwards Bruce/K Inch 13.
11,
K Inch 21 A Jeffcoat
5.
A Jeffcoat/D Rayner S Cottle/B Morel 17 T