Bowls: Bowlers at last end jinx

WELLINGTON - Andrew Curtain rated yesterday one of his best in international bowls when the New Zealand men's team ended a four-year drought by winning the transtasman series 2-1.

With the series all square coming into the day's decider, Christchurch's Curtain laid the platform when he outplayed Australian Steve Glasson 21-16 in the singles for the second successive test, giving New Zealand a 2-1 edge with just the fours to play.

"I got away to a good start today for a change," Curtain said.

A slow start in the first test cost Curtain and again in the second he was forced to come from behind.

The margin of Curtain's win, following the triples' 19-12 win and pairs' 19-22 loss in the morning session, took the pressure off the fours, who would have needed a real disaster to loosen New Zealand's grip on the test.

With the luxury of being able to lose by up to nine shots and still win the test, the New Zealand four of Russell Meyer, Paul Girdler, Rowan Brassey and Peter Belliss did somewhat better, delivering the goods with a 16-11 win and a decisive 3-1 final test scoreline.

The New Zealand women came within a shot of overhauling Australia in an astonishing afternoon comeback when at the lunch break they had seemingly been down and out at 0-2.

They fought back to two wins apiece, but Australia won the test by the narrowest of margins - a points differential of plus one - and the series 2-1.

The men's development team completed a 3-0 clean sweep over Australia while the women's academy suffered a 1-2 loss.

- NZPA