Bowls: Selector reaches Giddy heights

By GRAHAM SKELLERN

As the convener of selectors, Sid Giddy's primary role at the national lawn bowls championships in the Bay of Plenty was to keep a close eye on the form of the leading players.

Instead, the 67-year-old Mt Maunganui hero led the way in the playing stakes. Giddy became New Zealand's 15th gold star holder (for five national titles) after winning a dramatic fours final against Kevin Robinson's Tokoroa/Hillcrest combination at the Matua club in Tauranga on Saturday.

As well as collecting $1800 along with his experienced team-mates Maurice Hickey, Kevin Maxfield and Lance Tasker for the fours championship, Giddy took home a further $600 for being named the player of the Tower-sponsored tournament Giddy, who nowadays plays for the enjoyment of helping his team-mates, also reached the semifinals of the pairs.

"Allan Boulton [a fellow national selector] told me I shouldn't be playing in this tournament," said Giddy. "I told him, 'You look after yourself and I'll look after myself.'

"I'm playing against a lot of people in the tournament that are in the frame for selection and I can get more from that. I'm alongside them, feeling their reactions and watching how they perform," said Giddy, who is uncommitted about whether he will continue as national selector.

He said he was not thinking of earning his gold star and entering the record books alongside great names like Nick Unkovich, Phil Skoglund, Percy Jones, Rowan Brassey and Peter Belliss.

"It never concerned me, and I certainly didn't put any pressure on myself. If it came in my lifetime then I just accepted it as a great honour," said Giddy, who won his first fours championship in 1991, the pairs in 1993 and also picked up two national champion-of-champion singles titles.

Giddy's four beat Robinson, Neville Risbridge, Kevin Boothby and the much-improved Steve Posa 22-17 in an absorbing 25-end match.

Robinson and his steady crew held the initiative through the first half, taking leads of 10-4 with a four on the seventh end, 12-7 and 13-9 after 14 ends.

Then Giddy and his fighters began creeping back and finally levelled at 16-all on the 20th end.

A turning point came on the 18th end when Robinson, holding the shot to go three ahead, elected to drive out Giddy's closest bowl for five counters. Instead he powered the jack into the ditch and gave Giddy one shot to get closer at 14-15.

The big break came on the classical 23rd end.

Maxfield drove the jack into the ditch, Boothby and Risbridge drew shots right to the edge, Hickey drove their bowls out and Giddy drew two more to snatch three shots and virtually tie up the game.