KEY POINTS:
They called it the "pool of death" and that's what it was for internationals Sharon Sims and Jo Edwards at the national bowls championships in Dunedin yesterday.
Two of the leading title contenders, they were bundled out of the women's singles - Sims by her pairs partner, Mary Campbell, and Edwards by St Clair bowler Carolyn Crawford - in a dramatic round of action at North East Valley.
Another international, Serena Matthews, who will play the singles in the test against Canada this month, was in danger of joining the exodus a short while later until a brilliantly judged final delivery gave her a 21-20 win over Beckenham's Rosemary Finch.
But her relief was short-lived, as she lost to Campbell in the next round.
The only high-powered individuals to survive the second round of post-section play were Campbell and Malaysia's precision queen, Siti Zalina Ahmad, who subsequently beat Crawford 20-5.
Crawford's achievement in defeating Edwards, one of the world's most accomplished female bowlers, is made more remarkable by the fact that her left arm is paralysed. An asthmatic, she was given an injection at the age of 6 that paralysed her arm.
It didn't deter her from taking up bowls 20 years, ago and imbued in her a "what will be, will be" approach that paid dividends when she trailed Edwards 12-18 and 15-19.
In a desperate finish, Crawford kept peppering the head with her draw shots, surviving Edwards' all-or-nothing drive on the final end.
But she found Ahmad, who is now a clear favourite to win the singles title, too classy.
After the demise of Edwards, Sims and Matthews, the New Zealand selectors would be relieved at the progress made by two of their newer international players, Manu Timoti, the highly promising youngster from Kensington in Northland, and Cathy Fleming from Paritutu in Taranaki.
They progressed to the final 16, Timoti at the expense of yet another experienced international player, United's Val Smith, and Fleming after a crushing victory over Elmwood's Lois Grey.
Post-section play in the women's singles will continue today. The semifinals and final are on Thursday.
In men's action, Dwayne Cameron rebounded from the disappointment of failing to qualify in the singles to advance to the last 16 of the pairs in partnership with Gisborne teenager Shannon McIlroy.
After accounting for Andrew Bramham and Les Hoare (Barrington) and Rob Ashton and Mark Noble (Johnsonville) in the morning, they scored a crushing 20-4 win over Bill and Billy Cosgriff (Geraldine).
They play Andre Smith (Havelock) and Lloyd Gallop (Blenheim) today.
The most intriguing game of those in the final 16 promises to be that between former New Zealand representatives Rowan Brassey (Takapuna) and Paul Girdler (Leith).
Brassey (Takapuna) is teamed with Tony Grantham (Birkenhead), and Girdler's partner is Sean O'Neill (Kia Toa).
Girdler used his get-out-of-jail card to eliminate Peter Wilson and Stewart McConnell (Kaikorai) 14-13.
A blistering drive by Girdler forced the final end to be replayed when McConnell appeared to have the game in the bag.
Former singles champion Mike Kernaghan (Onehunga), paired with David Archer (Taieri), has also come through to the last 16, after eliminating father-and-son James and Brian Pugh (Stoke).
- NZPA
