Scots beat Kiwis in shearing test

Scotland beat New Zealand by a mere eight-hundredths of a point in the first test of the Kiwi shearing team's world championships tour of the United Kingdom.

Scotland took out the Sunday feature match at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, where New Zealand-based Gavin Mutch and fellow Scot Hamish Mitchell beat King Country veteran David Fagan and comparative rookie Cam Ferguson, from Central Hawke's Bay.

Ferguson claimed some of the spoils for New Zealand, taking individual honours to complement a rare off performance by the Fagan, 48, who trailed both Scots in the final judging.

Fagan also has to wait at least another week for a 600th open-class career win, a milestone which had beckoned after he won at the Romney Shears in Kent last week.

He was fourth in the final, in which Mutch and Mitchell were first and second, followed by Napier shearer and 2008 world champion team member John Kirkpatrick.

World champion woolhandler Sheree Alabaster, of Taihape, made a promising start to her world championships preparations by finishing third in the woolhandling final, although beaten by another New Zealander competing in open ranks for the first time.

Ngaio Braddick, sixth in Shearing Sports New Zealand's national senior rankings, was runner-up to Scotland's top world championships hope, Leanne Bertram. Alabaster's world championships teammate, Keryn Herbert, of Te Kuiti, did not qualify for the final.

The New Zealanders now head for Lochearnead for the second test against Scotland, as they continue the preparations for the 14th world championships at the Royal Welsh Show on July 19-22.

- NZPA