KEY POINTS:
World pairs champion Jo Edwards yesterday provided the national selectors with some comfort after they had seen most of their squad, including some celebrated names, perform well below expectations at this week's New Zealand Bowls Open at Henderson.
Edwards was the exception as she cruised into the women's singles final, accounting for the Howick club's Estelle Hickey in the semifinal, 12-3, 8-4. Hickey, after some fine results earlier, appeared to suffer from nerves and the effects of a heavy schedule which has seen some of the bowlers playing five and even six matches a day.
Edwards, however, praised her effort. "She's a jolly good bowler," she said. "You have to be to get this far and when you beat bowlers of the calibre of Karen Murphy and Mary Campbell, as she did earlier in the week."
Though one of the few national representatives to make a final, Edwards said her form in the other disciplines had not been great, either. But this was simply the nature of a cut-throat tournament.
"It's a tough schedule, but you'd rather be playing five or six games a day rather than one."
In the men's singles the 21-year-old Matt Gallop, now of Wellington after starting in the game nine years ago in Blenheim, confirmed himself among the country's most promising bowlers by making the final.
With superb draw bowls he beat top Australian Mark Jacobsen, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist in 1998, 10-1, 5-8, 4-2, the highlight coming in the first end of the tie-breaker when Gallop drew four shots.
Gallop had no doubt this win was the best so far of his career. He missed out on the national squad named earlier this week and may have had a point to make yesterday. However, he said this had not been the case. "My time will come," he said.
Edwards' and Gallop's opponents in their respective finals were still to be decided.
