Bowls: New Zealand women's four win bronze

MANCHESTER - The New Zealand Commonwealth Games women's four had to be satisfied with a bronze medal today after they melted in Manchester's heat to lose the semifinal to the less rated England four.

Having disposed in the morning of the strong Scotland team 18-13, the four of Wendy Jensen, Patsy Jorgensen, Jan Khan and Anne Lomas believed they had a great chance of making the final.

However, the England side, playing in front of the partisan but respectful galleries, never let them into the match.

With 23-year-old lead Ellen Alexander playing impeccable bowls, England raced to a six shot lead after two ends and stretched it to 14-3 after nine.

Playing catch-up, New Zealand never settled into their game, losing 6-19.

Khan can add her medal to the family collection. Mother Millie Khan won a bronze in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 and a silver in Auckland in 1990.

Lomas admitted they had high hopes of gold when they entered the match but said: "how can you be disappointed when they played like that."

"I've never seen anything like it."

The women's elimination had been preceded by the men's four who failed to win a medal as expected. The fancied four of Andrew Curtain, Rowan Brassey, Sean Johnson, Peter Belliss went down 12-15 to reining Games champions Northern Ireland.

New Zealand were up 12-11 in the 13th end but dropped three shots in the 14th thanks a somewhat lucky Northern Ireland bowl and were shut out in the last end.

They men's four lost in similar circumstances in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games, with Wales knocking them out with their last bowl.

Belliss admitted the team had not performed to according to the high individual ratings of the members.

He said he was considering retiring from Games teams. The 50-year-old bowls legend has been a Games competition since 1982.

"We're pretty disappointed about the result but feel we played pretty well during the tournament," he said.

He refused the blame the slow Heaton Park greens, saying that Northern Ireland were a very strong side.

The women's four had to come from behind to beat the well-regarded Scotland team and be assured of a bronze in the semifinal. The match was a repeat of the world championship final two year's ago in Australia, which New Zealand won after playing an extra, deciding end.

"We won just by playing good bowls. There was a lot of pressure but the girls seem to just thrive on it," she said.

The women's pair of Sharon Sims and Joanna Edwards quietened the home crowd with a decisive 16-12 victory over a youthful England team.

England picked up four shots in the final end to give the score respectability.

The women's pair have now won three from three and are certain to go through to the quarterfinals. If they win their last section match against the Isle of Man tomorrow they will qualify top of their section.

Men's singles player Mike Kernaghan kicked off his campaign with a 21-16 win against Mia Tuteru of the Cook Islands. Kernaghan strode off to a 10-5 lead but surrendered it within three ends. They were 15-all after 19 but Kernaghan finished stronger.

The men's EAD (elite athletes with disability) triple of John Davies, Barry Wynks and Peter Horne lost 9-11 against England. Yesterday, they beat Kenya 16-6. They need to win their last two matches against Malaysia and Wales.

Any medals won by EAD athletes count in the official total. The winner of their pool goes straight into the gold-silver playoff and the second placed team plays off for bronze.

Tomorrow, the men's pair of Russell Meyer and Paul Girdler face the likely prospect of joining their men's fours colleagues in an early exit.

Having lost two from four, they must beat Australia tomorrow to have any chance of qualifying.

Blind bowler Marilyn Savage lost her second match 11-15 and after losing her first has little hope of progressing despite having two more matches.

Women's Fours

Quarter-finals: Ellen Alexander, Shirley Page, Gill Mitchell, Carol Duckworth (Eng) bt Bah Chui Me, Arshad Azalina, Ismail Shima, Hasan Haslah (Mas) 20-10 (4-0 4-0 0-1 0-2 3-0 1-0 0-1 0-2 1-0 1-0 2-0 1-0 3-0 0-4)

Ann Sutherland, Pam John, Nina Shipperlee, Gillian Dawn Miles (Wal) bt Alicia Crangle, Paula Montgomery, Dessa Baird, Pat Horner (Nir) 16-8 (0-1 0-2 1-0 2-0 2-0 1-0 2-0 1-0 1-0 3-0 0-2 2-0 0-2 0-1 1-0)

Wendy Jensen, Patsy Jorgensen, Jan Khan, ANNE LOMAS (NZL) bt Sandra Steven, Elizabeth Leishman Forsyth, Joyce Dickey, Sarah Gourlay (Sco) 18-13 (0-1 2-0 0-1 1-0 0-5 0-1 0-1 5-0 0-1 0-3 3-0 3-0 1-0 1-0 2-0)

Shirley Fitzpatrick-Wong, Andrea Weigand, Melissa Ranger, Anita Nivala (Can) bt Lorraine Murphy, Gean O'Neil, Liz Cole, Suzanne Dingle (Jer) 11-10 (1-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-1 1-0 3-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 2-0 1-0 0-4 0-1)

Men's Triples Physically Disabled Group Stages

Pool A: David Turner, David Fisher, Richard Coates (Eng) bt Barry Wynks, John Davies, PETER RONALD HORNE (NZL) 11-9 (1-0 1-0 0-1 4-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-3 2-0 0-3 1-0)

Harajinder Singh Mahinder Singh, Lamin Azmi, Hong Hing Lim (Mas) bt John Gronow, Derek Dowling, Kevin George Woolmore (Wal) 20-6 (1-0 1-0 2-0 0-0 3-0 0-1 0-3 0-2 3-0 3-0 4-0 3-0)

Women's Pairs Group Stages

Pool A: Alison Birch & Sheila Syvret (Jer) bt Hilda Luipa & Beatrice Mali (Zam) 23-7 (1-0 2-0 1-0 1-0 3-0 1-0 2-0 1-0 2-0 0-1 3-0 1-0 5-0 0-3 0-3)

Margaret Russell, Joyce Lindores (Sco) bt Hajah Suhana Haji Mohd Daud, Hajah Amalia Haji Matali (Bru) 14-10 (0-1 2-0 0-1 1-0 1-0 2-0 1-0 2-0 0-2 2-0 3-0 0-3 0-1 0-1 0-1)

Pool B: Maureen Payne, Pauline Kelly (Iom) bt Sheila Khamisa, Trish Morrison (Maw) 16-9 (1-0 1-0 4-0 1-0 1-0 3-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 0-3 1-0 2-0 1-0 0-2 0-2)

SHARON SIMS, JOANNA EDWARDS (NZL) bt Lynne Whitehead, Amy Gowshall (Eng) 16-12 (1-0 1-0 0-3 3-0 2-0 0-1 1-0 3-0 0-1 2-0 0-2 2-0 1-0 0-1 0-4)

Pool C: Lee Poletti, Roma Dunn (Aus) bt Mou Tokorangi, Mata Vaile (Cok) 23-5 (1-0 5-0 0-2 1-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 4-0 1-0 3-0 4-0)

Ellen Cawker, Jill Hackland (Rsa) bt Abu Bakar Sarimah, Nazura Ngahat (Mas) 16-11 (1-0 0-1 1-0 0-2 2-0 0-3 3-0 3-0 0-1 0-1 2-0 0-2 0-1 3-0 1-0)

Pool D: Joanna Weale, Anwen Butten (Wal) bt Karina Okuk, Maggie Worri (Png) 21-12 (4-0 0-4 3-0 1-0 2-0 0-1 0-2 2-0 0-2 1-0 5-0 0-1 2-0 1-0 0-2)

Donna Mcnally, Barbara Cameron (Nir) bt Jean Simon, Anne Simon (Gue) 17-8 (0-1 1-0 2-0 0-1 2-0 1-0 0-2 2-0 1-0 4-0 1-0 3-0 0-1 0-2 0-1)

Men's Singles Group Stages

Pool A: Ryan Bester (Can) bt Eddie Nkole (Zam) 21-7 (0-1 0-1 2-0 3-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 0-1 0-2 4-0 2-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 3-0 3-0), Mervyn King (Eng) bt Garry Ryan (Nfi) 21-8 (0-1 3-0 1-0 0-1 2-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-2 3-0 0-2 1-0 0-2 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 1-0)

Pool B: Douw Calitz (Nam) bt Albert Solomon (Fij) 21-18 (1-0 0-3 2-0 1-0 0-2 0-3 0-1 0-1 0-1 1-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 4-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 2-0 1-0 4-0 2-0), MIKE KERNAGHAN (NZL) bt Mia Tuteru (Cok) 21-16 (2-0 0-2 1-0 0-1 2-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 3-0 1-0 0-1 0-3 0-3 2-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-2 0-1 2-0 3-0 0-1 1-0)

Pool C: Lee Nixon (Jer) bt Ian Stamp (Ken) 21-4 (0-1 3-0 1-0 3-0 2-0 0-1 4-0 0-1 3-0 0-1 1-0 2-0 2-0), Darren Burnett (Sco) bt Laurie Arthur (Maw) 21-5 (1-0 0-1 0-2 0-1 1-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-1 3-0 4-0 3-0 3-0 1-0 2-0), Jeremy Henry (Nir) bt William John James (Swz) 21-17 (0-2 1-0 0-3 0-1 0-4 1-0 0-3 2-0 1-0 1-0 3-0 1-0 0-1 1-0 2-0 2-0 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 1-0 2-0)

Pool D: Robert John Donnelly (Rsa) bt Abd Rahman Haji Omar (Bru) 21-9 (0-1 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-1 1-0 1-0 3-0 0-1 2-0 1-0 1-0 2-0 0-2 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-2 3-0 0-1 2-0), Stephen Glasson (Aus) bt Ian Merrien (Gue) 21-12 (1-0 1-0 0-4 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-2 0-1 3-0 1-0 3-0 0-1 2-0 0-2 1-0 2-0 1-0), Syed Akil Syed Mohamad (Mas) bt Ieremia Leautuli (Sam) 21-17 (1-0 2-0 0-1 2-0 0-2 0-1 0-2 1-0 1-0 0-2 1-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 1-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 2-0 1-0 0-1 2-0 0-1 0-2 0-2 1-0)

Men's Fours

Quarter-finals: Ian Slade, Richard Bowen, Jason Greenslade, David Wilkins (Wal) bt Brett Duprez, Gary Willis, Adam Jeffery, Rex Johnston (Aus) 23-12 (0-1 0-2 0-2 1-0 0-2 4-0 0-1 8-0 2-0 0-3 0-1 1-0 3-0 4-0), Duanne Abrahams, Theuns Fraser, Kevin Campbell, Neil Burkett (Rsa) bt Stephen Manson Bezanson, John Devonshire, Keith Roney, Chris Stadnyk (Can) 16-7 (2-0 2-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-3 1-0 1-0 0-1 1-0 5-0 1-0 2-0 1-0), Michael Nutt, Noel Graham, Neil Booth, Jim Baker (Nir) bt Andrew Curtain, Rowan James Brassey, Sean Johnson, PETER BELLISS (NZL) 15-12 (0-3 2-0 2-0 0-1 2-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 3-0 0-2 2-0 0-2 2-0 2-0), John Ottaway, Simon Skelton, Robert Newman, David Holt (Eng) bt Arun Kumar, Sushil Sharma, Saijad Khan, Ratish Lal (Fij) 15-11 (0-1 1-0 1-0 0-1 1-0 0-3 0-1 4-0 3-0 2-0 1-0 0-4 0-1 1-0 1-0)

Mens Triples Physically Disabled Group

Pool B: Ivan Prior, David Heddle, John Robertson (Sco) bt John Hunter, Francis Patrick Bell, Patrick Bell (Nir) 10-8 (1-0 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-3 1-0 1-0 3-0 0-1 2-0 0-2 0-1), Neville Read, Phillip Kearins, James Reynolds (Aus) bt Glyn Thompson, Pieter Frederick Sterrenberg, Bryan Rae (Rsa) 13-12 (0-1 0-3 0-1 2-0 0-1 2-0 1-0 1-0 4-0 3-0 0-1 0-5)

Women's Fours Semifinal: Women's Fours Semifinal:

Ellen Alexander, Shirley Page, Gill Mitchell, Carol Duckworth (Eng) bt Wendy Jensen, Patsy Jorgensen, Jan Khan, ANNE LOMAS (NZL) 19-6 (2-0 4-0 0-1 1-0 1-0 1-0 2-0 0-3 3-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 3-0 1-0), Shirley Fitzpatrick-Wong, Andrea Weigand, Melissa Ranger, Anita Nivala (Can) bt Ann Sutherland, Pam John, Nina Shipperlee, Gillian Dawn Miles (Wal) 13-12 (0-2 1-0 2-0 0-3 2-0 1-0 0-1 0-1 2-0 0-1 0-2 0-1 0-1 1-0 4-0)

Womens Singles Blind Group:

Pool A: Mukri Moira (Mas) bt Vanessa Hinton (Aus) 15-8 (0-1 4-0 2-0 0-1 1-0 0-1 3-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-2 2-0 3-0), Ruth Small (Eng) bt Susan Njani (Ken) 15-3 (4-0 4-0 0-1 3-0 1-0 1-0 0-1 0-1 2-0)

Pool B: Vivian Berkeley (Can) bt Deirdre Buller (Rsa) 15-14 (1-0 0-1 0-1 1-0 1-0 0-2 0-2 0-1 4-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-3 0-4 2-0 1-0 2-0), Judith Anne Marshall (Sco) bt MARILYN SAVAGE (NZL) 15-11 (1-0 1-0 0-2 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-3 2-0 0-2 1-0 0-4 1-0 1-0 2-0 1-0 2-0)