Bowls: Pin-point drive blitz fails

By GRAHAM SKELLERN

National squad member Rob Ashton (Wellington) fired down more than 20 drives and missed just twice during the crucial fourth round of the post-section singles play in the national lawn bowls championships in Tauranga yesterday.

But the steady Bay of Plenty representative Kevin Maxfield (Mt Maunganui) withstood the heavy artillery to reach the last 16 for the third time in his 15-year-career.

Maxfield was drawing them close as he took leads of 9-6 and 16-9. Then after putting on a superb driving show, Ashton settled into the draw and clawed his way back into the game.

Maxfield, leading 19-16, dropped four shots after going for the win by trying to trail the jack. Ashton succeeded with the same shot and picked up three shots on the next end and this time Maxfield had to drive to kill the end with his last bowl.

Finally, a relieved Maxfield nailed the 21-20 win by drawing two more shots on the final end.

"I was lazy at times and dropping a few too many short, and that annoyed me," said Maxfield, who was a semifinalist at Matamata in 1993.

The giant-killing run by the Matua club treasurer, Jim Wilson - playing his first Tower national tournament - ended sadly when he was also edged out in the fourth round by one point by the North Harbour Academy bowler, David Eades.

Wilson, playing on his home green, upset Hillsboro's Frank Arnerich 21-16 and Grant Goodwin 21-19 and jumped in front of Eades 9-0 and 15-4. But after a long day Wilson lost the edge to his drawing consistency and the talented Eades slowly fought his way back to win 21-20.

Henderson's Nick Separovich, back in Auckland for a few months from the Gold Coast, worked his way through a tough draw by beating the 1997 champion Peter Shaw (Palmerston North) 21-17 after trailling 7-17, and then overpowering Vic Robson (New Plymouth) 21-12.

Robson had earlier taken out one of the tournament favourites, Kerry Chapman (Glenfield), by 21-14. Separovich's day, however, came to a grinding halt when he lost the fourth round to the national under 30 representative, Adam Newman (Wellington), a singles and pairs runner-up.

The scores were tied 19-all and Separovich held a toucher before Newman trailed the jack back for two winning shots.

Two wily campaigners, Pat Robertson and Sid Giddy, both national over60s representatives, finished up opposing each other in the final 16 after another successful but pressure-filled day.

Robertson went to the wire in the fourth round by beating Counties Manukau representative Shane McGonagle 21-20 and Giddy, the convenor of the national selectors, wasn't far behind when he beat Waikato representative Neville Risbridge 21-19.

The 1991 champion Petar Sain (Carlton) was still alive after having two strong wins over Bay of Plenty reprsentatives Merv Gibbons 21-13 and Robbie Aitken 21-25.

But the 1998 winner Kelvin Scott (Christchurch) crashed out in the last 32 to another surprise packet in Steve Smith, the former Carlton player now at Kensington in Whangarei. Smith first polished off another Bay representative Reg Sim 21-17 and then beat Scott 21-19.

Smith was joined in the last 16 by his clubmate Mike Butler, a national champion of champions runner-up, who beat Nigel Godman (Christchurch) 21-17.

A comeback similar to Eades' saw Hamilton's Lloyd Clarke beat last season's fours runner-up Ray Park (Wanganui) 21-20 after trailing 5-15. It was that sort of day in which fortunes changed quickly.

The draw for the last 16 tomorrow is: John Barr (Putaruru) v Steve Posa (Hillcrest), Peter Harding (Glen Eden) v Steve Smith, Mike Reid (Oratia) v Clive Phillips (Te Puke), Pat Robertson (Helensville) v Sid Giddy (Mt Maunganui).

Kevin Maxfield (Mt Maunganui) v Graham Skellern (Tauranga South), Mike Butler (Kensington) v Petar Sain, Sean Johnson (Aramoho) v David Eades, Lloyd Clarke v Adam Newman (Victoria).