Bowls: Lawson on a roll and after No 8

Former international Gary Lawson survived Silverstream's section of death yesterday to close in on a third singles crown and his eighth national title.

The one-time bad boy of New Zealand bowls beat well-performed Aucklander Neville Hill of Okahu Bay 21-19 in a fourth-round thriller to reach the last 16 of the singles.

Lawson is clearly one of the form players at the nationals, being hosted at the Hutt Valley club, and few would bet against the Hornby Domain player adding to his two singles wins in Auckland in 1989 and Canterbury in 1994, a 1997 pairs triumph with Andy Curtain and four national fours crowns.

He and Curtain have already qualified for pairs post section while Lawson will meet Blenheim's unheralded Lloyd Gallop in the fifth round of singles this morning. Lawson appears to be on the weaker side of a draw that will be whittled down to the two finalists today.

Hill had earlier eliminated Auckland international Rowan Brassey of Avondale 21-14 in the first big post-section upset.

Under-fire Island Bay bowler Mike Solomon today meets Johnsonville's Dan Dickison, nephew of 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games singles gold medallist Ian.

Solomon faces possible disciplinary action after admitting he deliberately lost his final qualifying game last Friday to help a clubmate to progress.

Canterbury's Kelvin Scott of Belfast, who won the singles at Naenae the last time Wellington hosted the nationals in 1998, meets 1990 champion Terry Scott of Dunedin's North East Valley in another intriguing clash.

Two-time champion Peter Sain of Carlton, one of the fancied players, was bowled over yesterday, 21-5 by Canterbury's Alvin Gardner.

Curtain eased through with a 21-15 win over Avondale's former national pairs champion Ross Haresnape.

- NZPA