Bowls: World champ ousted at nationals

Jan Khan. Photo / Christchurch Star

Double world champion Val Smith and partner Kay Hammond have been ousted from contention for the national title.

Smith lost two games in the women's pairs qualifying in Wellington on day one and lost the first game yesterday.

She says at first she was gutted about her results, but agrees she didn't play well enough to produce the goods throughout the competition.

"I think the thing that has bothered me the most is expectation. Once you get to the top level, people are always expecting of you, but there is only one way you can go when you're up that high and that's down," she said.

"At the end of the day I can only blame my form, I just simply didn't play well enough."

Local hopes Leigh Griffin and Kirsten Griffin from Victoria have comfortably guaranteed a feature in post-section and hot favourites Jan and Marina Khan will also be present and will prove hard to beat in the knockout rounds. Under-25 representative Mandy Boyd and sister Angela Boyd from Tarendale are also in good form and will be tough in post-section.

In the men's singles yesterday, Australian-based Black Jacks Richard Girvan and Ali Forsyth both made the cut, despite both losing to Victoria's Richard Corry who was in outstanding form in trying conditions. Ryan Bester also eased through, as did Andrew Kelly, Dwayne Cameron, Shannon McIlroy, Danny Delany, Peter Belliss and defending champion Richard Collett.

Auckland's Scott Cotterell, under-25 representative Gregory Ruaporo and Onehunga's Scott Evans also pushed for a post-section position and Northern's 21-year-old young gun Cameron Nairne had an impressive day, remaining unbeaten.

Notable absences from the men's singles include former New Zealand representative Sean O'Neill from the Kia Toa Bowling Club who was beaten narrowly by Wilton's Ben King and Tauranga South's Graham Skellern. The other absence was Northern's Phil Skoglund who failed to secure three wins and consequently was ousted from the singles discipline.

The action heats up today with the men's pairs post-section in full swing and the women's singles. Tomorrow the semifinalists will be found for both disciplines and on Saturday the first day of post-section for the men's singles and women's pairs begins.

- NZPA