Bowls: Khan bowls her way into record books with wins

By TERRY MADDAFORD

HAMILTON - Mighty Millie Khan stormed into the record books with two amazing victories at the national women's bowls championships yesterday.

In a demanding 10-hour day - semifinals and finals in pairs and singles - on the Hamilton City green, Matamata's 61-year-old great-grandmother bagged both titles.

After winning the pairs with her daughter Marina in the morning - 18-5 over the Nelson pair of Judy Heeman and Jenny Fleming - Millie Khan returned to beat Marie Watson 21-20 in a nailbiting singles final.

That victory earned Khan an unprecedented fourth singles title, her 10th in all, and a bar for her gold star. Only Cis Winstanley, who won 17 titles from 1957 to 1984, remains ahead of Khan on the all-time list.

Watson, dumped from the New Zealand team, and Khan, who has retired from international play, were among the four players, including Winstanley and Elsie Wilkie, who had won three singles titles before yesterday.

After scoring seven shots in two ends to take a 12-9 lead, Khan was odds-on to win but Watson fought back and almost won it on the 21st end when she picked up three shots and missed a fourth on a close measure to take it to 20-20 playing the last.

Khan pushed the jack into the ditch and eventually took the one precious shot to claim her place in history.

The Khans dominated the pairs final from the outset. Ahead 5-0 after three ends, they rarely gave the combined Nelson team any chance restricting Heeman and Fleming to just three singles and a two in a game which lasted just 16 of the scheduled 18 ends.

Not afraid to play with some weight when her daughter called for it, Millie Khan was superb as she built on the good start given her by Marina in her first final at this level.

Only on the odd occasion did Millie Khan go to the mat not holding at least one shot. In scoring on all but one end from the sixth to 11th, the Matamata pair virtually shut out their opponents.

There were no really big ends for the Khans but their ability to pick up shots on some tight ends ensured Millie Khan of her second pairs title and the seventh for the Matamata club.

"It's great," said 34-year-old Marina Khan after collecting her first national title in six attempts and in her 11th year of bowls. "I just wanted to win a national title with mum."

In a parting shot at the rules, Millie Khan said she was really disappointed that she could not join Marina and her other daughter, Jan, who plays at the Beckenham club in CHristchurch, in the fours which start this morning.

"You have to all play in the same centre or have four family members in the team," said Millie Khan. "I don't think it's fair. I would have loved to play with my daughters in the fours."

The 201 teams in the fours championship will play the first of six qualifying games - two a day of 21 ends - this morning with the final scheduled for Sunday morning.