Bowls: Champs in trouble after dismal day

A blank day for Gary Lawson's star-studded four has left them teetering on the brink of an early exit from the fours event at the men's nationals at Hutt Valley.

Champion skip four times in the mid-1990s, Lawson has senior New Zealand international Andrew Curtain, and under-30 representatives Glen McDonald and Adam Newman on board.

But defeat at the hands of Garth Maxwell's Rotorua four in the morning, 24-16, was followed by a shock 28-27 reverse at the hands of Stokes Valley's Murray Pollock.

Lawson's four now need a perfect day today and two more victories to make the qualifying mark of four wins from six matches and a spot in the draw for the knockout phase.

They are up against the Titahi Bay quartet of Newman, Marment, O'Brien and Conley in the morning.

The Wellington side are still in contention themselves but sit on the same record as Lawson.

Perversely, Lawson's toughest match might well be against the Tauranga four of Merv Gibbons, Graham Skellern, Dave Maguire and Laurie Coughey.

They are, surprisingly, already out of the event after winning just one from four so far.

But a final round match against the TAB co-favourites will maintain their interest, and that of the Naenae crowd, as Lawson's qualification hangs in the balance.

Several top teams are safely through with four straight wins, including 1999 fours champion and winner of the pairs crown last Friday, Petar Sain.

Co-favourites Paul Girdler with Steve Beel, Richard Girvan and Sean O'Neill are also through already, as are namesakes Terry Scott from Dunedin and Kelvin Scott from Canterbury.

1998 champion four Andre Smith, Lloyd Gallop, Bob Dowling and Kevin Greenwood have reformed for this event, with Dowling and Greenwood returning from Australia for the chance to repeat their win.

They, too, are safely through after four straight wins.

In the highly competitive section 11, defending champions Avondale, under Rowan Brassey, have qualified, along with last year's semifinalist Halswell four, skipped by Alvin Gardiner, and Naenae's Carroll, Cameron and Irving with Gisborne's former international David File at the helm.

In that same section Dave Hanson from Timaru, with new singles champ Ali Forsyth in the team, lost 28-23 to Gardiner in the morning, but an afternoon win sees them retain their outside chance of qualifying.

To do so they must win in the morning and then also beat Brassey in the final round.

Still in section 11, Dave Burgess of Te Rangi ended the day on 3 wins after two victories. His second win was over Waikato's Kevin Robinson, and that leaves the Tokoroa butcher also on the brink of exit, needing two wins today, both matches against local opposition.

The youngest quartet in the field, Raika Gregory, Kelvin Budge, Shannon McIlroy and Robbie Marshall don't add up to 80 years between them. But all are in the New Zealand squad as carded development players, and the selectors will be delighted to see them already qualified.

Biggest rescue act of the day came from Wanganui's Ray Park.

On two losses from day one, there is no room for any further error, but two wins on the day keep alive their hopes of progressing.