Bowls: Galloway earns title bid

Auckland bowls greenkeeper Mike Galloway has ended the year as he started it - a champion.

His straight-sets win over Dunedin's Robbie Thomson, 7-2, 7-5, 7-4, earned Galloway a second men's Superbowls title at Pukekohe, a trip to Britain in April and a tilt at the world indoor singles title.

Galloway won the pairs title at the national championships in January and was cheered home at the Pukekohe indoor stadium by his partner in that win, David Clark.

Also making the trip to Belfast will be Wendy Jensen, who scored an upset win over seven-time champion Marlene Castle, 7-5, 1-7, 7-1, 7-5.

Together, Galloway and Jensen will also contest the world mixed pairs event.

Earlier, Jensen had beaten Judy Howat in the semifinals, again three sets to one, while Marlene Castle won a five-set thriller over international team-mate Patsy Jorgensen.

In the men's event, Thomson had started the day with a quickfire three-set win over an out-of-sorts defending champion Kerry Chapman, ending Chapman's hopes of a third consecutive title.

Galloway had beaten former international David File in four sets in his semifinal, while Thomson needed five to get past Kevin Maxfield.

- NZPA