Bowls: Champion bows out of the singles game

Marie Watson won her fourth national singles championship and her sixth title in total yesterday and then announced her retirement from singles competition.

While the 58-year-old United club bowler from Nelson cited sore legs for her decision, a player in her 76th year celebrated victory in the pairs.

Norma Stewart and her daughter Janice Scott, from the New Lynn club, won the first of two finals decided at the 53rd women's championships at Matua.

The upset success by the mother/daughter pair was popular - and they defied the odds in beating New Zealand representative Marlene Castle and Academy representative Lisa Dickson.

Stewart and Scott overcame a nervous start and a shaky first half to beat the Onehunga pair 19-16 with a convincing display against their highly-regarded opponents.

There was more for the vocal New Lynn supporters to cheer, because Watson's opponent in the singles final was club member Hetty Bolscher.

Stewart, Scott and Bolscher are all playing in the same side at the fours championships in Bay of Plenty this week, with the final set down for Matua on Saturday.

Bolscher played well enough to close to 12-11 down after 14 ends of the singles final.

But Watson was clearly the outstanding player of the past week. She had destroyed a long list of some of the country's best players, and yet again displayed her extraordinary drawing skills in the final.

Her form suggested her decision to retire from singles is premature, but she has been suffering Achilles tendon problems and is soon to see a specialist.

"I've had only one game of singles this year in preparation for these championships," Watson said. "I really only entered the singles to give me practice for the pairs and fours."

The success of Stewart and Scott surprised many, including themselves.

Stewart was still in a daze some time after the cup presentation. "I can't believe it -it's like a dream."

The pair have played together for 11 years, previously reaching the last 16 in the pairs and fours.

In the semifinals, Stewart played a match-winning bowl on the 17th end when her Omanu opponents Bev White and Josephine Connolly held four shots.

Castle won the other semifinal when she beat Shona Klemich, of Hokowhitu, and Sue Wilson, of Winton, 20-12.

- NZPA