Bowls: Games trio tipped out of singles

Breezy winds and unpredictable greens conspired to upend the entire women's Commonwealth Games triples team from singles play in the national bowls championship.

Skip Val Smith from Nelson club United went down to Taupo's Wendy Green 21-18, and lead Sharon Sims from Northern was convincingly beaten by Hillsboro's Bev Crowe.

The third member, Serena Mathews from Mangere Bridge, lost to Onehunga's Rima Strickland 21-20.

Commonwealth Games pairs skip Jan Khan made it through to round four of the post section, but was soundly beaten 21-9 by this year's Superbowls winner, Paula Meredith from Johnsonville.

But Nelson's world pairs champion, Jo Edwards, mastered the conditions to stay on track to win her first national singles title.

Edwards made the quarter-finals after beating Lower Hutt's Marylin Hannay 21-4, Johnsonville's Hilda Abraham 21-19 and Carterton's Robyn Schischka 21-8.

Last year's singles runner-up, Paritutu's Cathy Fleming, also made the quarter-finals.

The men's pairs post section play saw Commonwealth triples team member Richard Girvan and his nine-time national champion partner, Danny Connor from Okahu Bay, drop out of contention after losing 14-16 to Castlecliff's Graeme Belk.

Defending champions Kevin Robinson of Tokoroa and Steve Posa of Frankton Railway also made it to the last 32 and will face Tauranga's Ray Noone and Robbie Aitken today.

"Ray and Robbie ... we know them quite well. They are two good campaigners," Posa said.

Canterbury dream team Gary Lawson and Rowan Brassey are also in the last 32 after beating Levin's Neville Turnbull 21-12 and Island Bay's Domenic Massa 14-3.

The Lawson-Brassey partnership face their biggest challenge today when they take on Ali Forsyth (Nelson) and Leo Leonard (Kia Toa) for a spot in the top 16.

- NZPA