Bowls: Sain makes it two national singles titles

By GRAHAM SKELLERN

The Kiwi Croatians are confident lawn bowlers.

So before winning his second national final yesterday, Carlton's Petar Sain inquired of the elder statesman, Ivan Kostanich, how long it took him to win his second singles title.

"Sixteen years," replied Kostanich. But he jested: "Winning one singles title is a lifetime achievement."

Sain was unfazed: "I can get a second [singles] title in a shorter time than that." And so he did. Nine years after winning at Naenae in Wellington, Sain triumphed on the Matua green in Tauranga by beating Helensville's Pat Robertson 21-13 in the singles final.

Sain and the Tower New Zealand championships go hand in hand. He actually achieved the feat of winning three titles within a decade after collecting the fours championship in Christchurch last year.

It gave the famous Carlton club in Auckland their 22nd title since the national tournament began in 1914, when a Carlton bowler, J.S. Kilgour, won the first singles title, in Dunedin.

"It's all a bit of dream," said the 53-year-old Sain. "It's very difficult to expect to win two titles in two years, let alone a third. Not many people do that and I just had this thought that this might count against me."

A bowler who loves the big occasion, Sain took immediate control in blustery conditions against Robertson, who struggled with his weight and green and lost the precision he showed in his earlier matches.

Sain led 7-3, 12-7 and 13-10. The 68-year-old Robertson did fight back to 12-13 after changing his hand, but he continued to fight the green and the conditions.

Sain skipped away to another national title after picking up a two and two threes over the last four ends.

Robertson wore down Hamilton's Steve Posa 21-16 in the semfinals after trailing 9-13 after 15 ends.

In the other semifinal, Sain ended the golden run of Wanganui's Sean Johnson, who was chasing the double on the same day. But like Robertson, Johnson lost his consistency when he needed it most. And Sain romped home 21-10 after taking a 12-1 lead.

But the 27-year-old Johnson, one of the bright hopes of New Zealand bowls, had the consolation of already having tucked away a national title. In the first match of the day Johnson, the lead, teamed with fellow Wanganui representative Chris Waterson to win the pairs title by thrashing Hinuera's Kevin Smith and Stu Settle 30-8.