Bowls: Northland takes title after more than 20 years

Northland's national champs, Diane Lawrence (back left), Marny Jones, Maree Attwood, Sue Wightman, Maureen Parker and Lauren Mills; coach Ann Muir (front left), Leanne Stewart and manager Jane Walker.

Northland has broken a 23-year drought in taking out the national women's bowls title.

To do so, the team beat Nelson 2-1 in the final at the Howick Bowling Club in Auckland, after losing to the same team 2-1 in section play at the New Zealand intercentre championships.

Northland's Fours - Maureen Parker, Maree Attwood, Lauren Mills and Diane Lawrence - got the side off to a winning start 15-10, leading all the way. Nelson was restricted to scoring on just five of the 15 ends.

The Northland pair of Marny Jones and Leanne Stewart never let their experienced opposition Val Smith and Kirsten Griffin into the match and reversed a section play defeat by winning 18-6, handing out Smith and Griffin's first loss of the championships.

Nelson's Jo Edwards was poised to keep her unbeaten Intercentre Singles record at 23-22, when Northland took an unassailable 2-0 lead, and so the singles game was conceded to Edwards.

The Northlanders had earlier beaten North Harbour 3-0 in the semifinals.

In the men's competition, Auckland beat Canterbury 3-0 to win the title.

Northland had finished third in Section Two on 36 points.