Bowls: Casualties clear way for champ

Defending champion Mike Kernaghan may have allowed himself the hint of a smile after a day of wreckage in the national men's singles knockout stage in Dunedin yesterday.

Of the 159 qualifiers, the list was culled to just 16 for the resumption of play today.

Kernaghan hopes that the team for the Manchester Commonwealth Games, to be announced on finals day on Monday, will include his name in the singles berth.



As most of the big names fell around him yesterday, Kernaghan quietly eased his way through a more straightforward section of the draw to the last 16, where he will play under-30 international Glenn McDonald, of Christchurch.

The day started with Gary Lawson going out 21-15 to Rowan Brassey in the feature match of round one. Another potential selection for the games, Philip Skoglund jun, also fell in round one.

But then Brassey was beaten 21-11 by Andre Smith, of Havelock, in round two. Out also went two top singles players, , Sean Johnson from Wanganui, beaten 19-21 by Te Rangi's Dave Burgess, and Aucklander Kerry Chapman, a 20-21 victim of Canterbury's Shayne Sincock.

Adam Newman, of Wellington, and Ian Meyer from Palmerston North, two more under-30s to have worn the silver fern in the past year, joined them on the sideline.

To complete the domino effect, Smith was then a third-round loser to Jim Scott, of Dunedin's North East Valley.

In the afternoon, Wanganui's Ray Park, Leo Leonard and Sean O'Neill of Timaru, talented 21-year-old Jamie Hill from Auckland and the old master Sid Giddy from Mt Maunganui bowed out.

To round off the day and broaden the Kernaghan grin, the dangerous Kevin Robinson from Tokoroa was put out by Johnsonville's Grant Wakefield in the fourth round.

Among those who could upset Kernaghan's ambitions today are 1998 champion Kelvin Scott, pairs finalist Rob Ashton, Dunedin hopes Terry Scott, the champion 12 years ago, and Nigel Wright, and Auckland's Pat Campbell.