Lawson, Jeffcoat create history

History was created in both pairs finals when Gary Lawson (Sumner) and Neville Rodda (Victoria) claimed the men’s title and Ashley Jeffcoat (Frankton Junction) and Dale Rayner (Johnsonville) took out the women’s crown at the New Zealand bowls championships in New Plymouth yesterday.

Lawson took the record for the most titles won by a man at the championships – he now has 11 – while Jeffcoat became the youngest from either gender to win a title. She is just 17.

Lawson and Rodda held the upper hand throughout against Nelson’s Ali and Neville Forsyth, taking the match 16-11.

Jeffcoat and Rayner pulled away from the Wanganui’s Denise Taylor and Dot Belliss from the game’s mid-point to triumph 19-12.

Rodda, an Australian who has lived in the capital for the last two years, set up his skip Lawson for victory with a dominate performance off the front.

‘‘I’m ecstatic,’’ Lawson said. ‘‘We went out there and just wanted to keep drawing shots. But we also wanted to leave a few holes.’’

Lawson and Rodda also had more than share of luck during the final, but they consistently picked up ones and twos and by the conclusion of the 10th end, they led 12-3. And while the Forsyths rallied, closing to 15-10 behind with two to play, it was not their day.

Taylor and Belliss led 8-6 after eight ends in the women’s final, but they promptly dropped consecutive threes – the second after a fine trail by Rayner.

Jeffcoat, who learned her bowls in Raglan, then began to dominate the lead battle. Taylor saved the day on the 13th head when she trailed the jack for one when three down, but on the next end superb draw play from Rayner in particular saw a count of four virtually seal the contest.

Meanwhile, there was a sensational finish to the men’s singles final when Dean Elgar, of New Plymouth’s West End club, came from 20-14 down to beat Stokes Valley’s Blake Signal 21-20.

Elgar outdrew his more illustrious opponent on the final two ends, taking a four and a three to clinch his biggest ever win in bowls.

In the women’s singles final, Carlton Cornwall’s Selina Goddard, after leading 13-1, was seldom troubled in beating Aramoho’s Reen Stratford 21-9. Despite the tricky breeze, Goddard maintained an excellent degree of consistency.

Saturday’s fours finals saw two of the biggest ever names in New Zealand bowls, Peter Belliss (Aramoho) and Jo Edwards (United), underline their class as they skipped their teams to victory.

Edwards consistently converted heads as her side of Tayla Bruce, Kirsten Edwards and Val Smith overturned an 8-5 deficit to beat Lisa White’s team of Kimberley Hemingway, Natasha Russell and Jessie Macaw 22-11.

A six on the third end gave Belliss’ team of Lance Tasker, Signal and Richard Girvan a handy buffer against Elgar’s Taranaki team.

Despite battling hard later in the game, Elgar’s team of John Garrud, Neil Candy and Gerry O’Sullivan could not reduce the deficit.

When they did look to like making inroads, Belliss drew with precision, guiding his team home 23-9.