Bowls: Houdini Ali's great escape brings No 2

Ali Forsyth won his second national men's singles bowls championship after defeating Gary Lawson in yesterday's final in Christchurch.

The 24-year-old left-hander from the United club in Nelson beat Lawson 21-18, repeating his escape act from the semifinal by wriggling out of a match lie against him, and claiming the game on the following end.

Forsyth had clawed his way back into the game after trailing 2-10, but was still behind 16-18 with Lawson holding three. But Forsyth produced a dream run-shot, taking the jack into the ditch, and when he added a drawn second, the scores were level.

And on the next end he repeated the dose, a weighted effort removing Lawson's second shot, leaving Forsyth at match lie.

When the home-town bowler then hung out wide with his attempted draw, Forsyth punched the air with delight after winning his second successive national title.

He will now get the chance again to represent New Zealand at the world champion-of-champions singles in Australia next November, and must have impressed the selectors ahead of the announcement of transtasman teams after the national championships end in a week.

He will be joined in the world event by Hokonui's Shona Klimeck after she powered past Jo Edwards, also from the United Club, in the home straight of the women's singles final.

Klimeck had seen an 8-1 advantage evaporate as Edwards won seven ends on the trot to lead 11-8, and then be in control at 16-12.

But Klimeck produced her own dream run, denying Edwards the mat and any further score with six consecutive ends to win 21-16.

Edwards bounced back in the afternoon to take the women's pairs crown with long-time partner Val Smith, moving clear of Marlene Castle and Lisa Dickson, from Onehunga, through the middle stages, and holding off a late resurgence.

From 8-9 down Edwards scored nine shots over five ends to seem safe at 17-9 with three to play.

But Castle scored a one and a two to be just about in touch playing the last.

The first attempt was killed before Castle looked interested in a loose head, but the measure stopped counting at three to Castle, and Edwards had the title.

There was a popular home-club triumph in the men's pairs final.

Mike Small and Kevin Gore, of Burnside, came from behind to beat the Timaru combination of Barrie Andrews and Dave Hanson.

Gore was forced into using borrowed bowls after his were stolen from the Burnside club on Saturday.

Hanson had led 13-6 after 11 of the 18 ends, but Small won the next six, piling up 11 unanswered points to win 17-14.

Earlier, Small beat Adam Newman and Glen McDonald in one semifinal, and Hanson beat Tawa's Bruce Miller and Lynn Fenwick.

- NZPA