Bowls: Kostanich shows he's evergreen

By LINDSAY KNIGHT

Ivan Kostanich enhanced his already legendary status in New Zealand lawns yesterday by winning the Browns Bay invitation pairs.

Kostanich, who says he is 82 and a bit, skipped his Helensville clubmate Wayne Robertson to a decisive 15-5 win after only 13 of the 15 ends in the final against Bay of Plenty representatives, Kevin Maxfield and Dave Bennett.

The victory climaxed three days of bowling but at the end of it the remarkably fit and agile Kostanich was far from a physical wreck.

"I don't feel exhausted at all," he said. "I could easily play another game."

Kostanich won the second of his national singles titles nine years ago at the age of 73 and in 1984 he partnered Robertson's father, Pat, to the national pairs title.

Though he has not come close to another major title since, Kostanich has still picked up several top events such as the Browns Bay pairs. He won $2000 as part of his first prize yesterday and, just a few weeks ago picked up $1000 for winning a Northland invitation singles event.

Kostanich's immaculate draw bowls on the excellent Browns Bay green were the decisive factor yesterday. But Kostanich also paid tribute to his 39-year-old lead, who maintained a high standard despite having had little regular bowls this summer.

"Wayne made it easy for me," Kostanich said.

Kostanich and Robertson always held control of the final after starting the first end with a four and their form there followed an impressive semifinal in which they crushed Northland's John Dunn and Gordon Bond, previous winners of the event.

Though outplayed in the final, Maxfield and Bennett had the satisfaction yesterday of wins over the reigning national champions, Petar Sain and Wally Marsic, from Auckland's Carlton club.

Another legend of the game, Peter Belliss, narrowly failed yesterday to make today's semfinals of the Manurewa classic pairs title. He and his Wanganui lead Keith Slight went down to Dunedin's Terry and Shaun Scott 14-11.

Rowan Brassey and his young Auckland lead Jamie Hill, however, went through to the last four with a 17-12 win over last year's champions, fellow Aucklanders Ivan Marsic and Mike Farac.

The other semifinalists will come from the lower North Island: Wanganui's Sean Johnson and Manawatu's Philip Skoglund, both recent internationals, and Wanganui's Ray Park and Ray Savage, who yesterday impressively dispatched the former titleholders Gordon Duggie and Ken Walker, of Dunedin, 24-2 in just 10 ends.