Games: NZ medals in squash, cycling, judo boost total to 13

9.34am

MANCHESTER - An adopted Australian, an ultimately disappointing bike ride and a low-profile martial art combined to boost New Zealand's medal tally to 13 at the Commonwealth Games Wednesday.

Although they provided the gloss on a day when the men's bowls pair expanded that sport's woes, neither world squash No 2 Carol Owen or the men's pursuit team were particularly overjoyed with their lot, shaded as they were by trans-Tasman rivals.

Judoka Tim Slyfield pulled one back for the Kiwis when he defeated Australian Morgan Endicott-Davies in the 81kg bronze medal bout.

Team-mate Gareth Knight had his chance for a bronze scuppered by Scotland's Stephen Vidler in the 90kg division.

For silver medallist Owen, who switched allegiance to New Zealand four years ago, there were mitigating circumstances.

She was handed the enviable task of trying to detect and then exploit weaknesses in the armour-clad game of Australian world No 1 Sarah Fitz-Gerald.

Owens managed a rarity, taking a set of the top seed, who is unbeaten in 55 consecutive matches.

The 31-year-old recovered from a shaky 5-9 0-9 beginning, taking the third 9-2 and then fighting all the way in the fourth before succumbing 9-10.

"Obviously everyone comes here to win a gold medal but I have to be content with silver," she said.

Greg Henderson, Lee Vertongen, Matthew Randall and Hayden Roulston were handed the bronze medal, basically because they did not fall over at the National Cycling Centre when setting a qualifying time.

With only five nations competing -- and Wales and Scotland seriously outclassed -- England, Australia and the Kiwis were always destined to divvy up the medals.

New Zealand broke the Commonwealth Games record for the 4000m event but sat helplessly as England, and then defending champions Australia, powered into the final.

Henderson summed up the feeling of the team: "You don't spend four years of your life training to get third, it feels a bit hollow."

Such was the gap in ability between the top trio and the also rans, organisers decided not to hold a bronze medal ride-off.

New Zealand boxers Shane Cameron and Daniel Codling are also assured of a bronze, but are aiming higher when they fight their semifinals.

Codling assured himself of a bronze in the 67kg welterweight division when he comfortably Nigerian Olanrewaju Ekundayo.

Australian nemesis Daniel Geale, who has narrowly beaten Codling in their last two meetings, blocks the path to a potential gold.

Feilding heavyweight Shane Cameron will meet Canadian Jason Douglas.

The men's hockey team booked a Friday semifinal with powerhouse Pakistan, after finding it tougher than expected to subdue a plucky Canadian side.

The New Zealanders trailed 1-2 at halftime but a Hayden Shaw hat-trick saw them through.

Australia and South Africa meet in the other semi.

The surprising demise of Russell Meyer and Paul Girdler compounded the woes of the bowls contingent, following hard on the heels of yesterday's sending home of disabled triples member John Davies for sexually harassing a volunteer.

Tiny Norfolk Island had been winless on the soggy greens at Heaton Park before they produced an upset 12-10 win to condemn the Kiwis to sixth in their seven team group. Only the top four teams from each section moved to the quarterfinals.

- NZPA

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