Bowls: Amazing fightback from Cameron

Dwayne Cameron in action yesterday. Pictures / Martin Sykes

Rowan Brassey's national singles jinx took on another dimension of heartbreak yesterday when, from a seemingly unbeatable position on several occasions, he lost the final at Henderson to Counties-Manukau's Dwayne Cameron.

Trailing 0-9, 1-11 and then 8-19, and with Brassey twice holding the win at 20-15 and 20-17, Cameron rallied to prevail 21-20, picking up an astonishing four shots on the last end.

As an upset result it probably ranks in bowls history with the 1987 fours win by the Hutt Valley combination of no-names skipped by "Meatpack" Mick Heald over a powerful Taranaki line-up of 1974 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Dave Baldwin.

And considering that the man who held such a seemingly insurmountable lead is recognised as one of the true greats of the game nationally and internationally, Cameron's fightback deserves to become a legend not just of bowls but of all New Zealand sport.

Brassey was typically philosophical afterwards in accepting his defeat, joking: "I seem to be able to win all the big money ones and lose the ones with not much money to them," a reference to what he considers a modest winning stake of $1200.

He offered no excuses for his narrow loss, saying that Cameron was a gritty fighter who had hung in there when many others would have crumbled.

He said the gusty, swirling wind and a fast green running at 18 seconds tended to make the match a lottery.

But having conceded that, Brassey was unusually tentative.

"It was just too hard to play run shots," he said. "You couldn't trust yourself with them."

Cameron confessed to handicapping himself with nerves in the opening ends, but gained confidence once he had been accurate with some of his drives.

"I was just happy to be in the final," he said, though he was emphatic that he had not been lacking self belief.

"I always back myself," Cameron said. "I always gave myself a chance, but when I was 9-0 down I was just happy to get on the board."

He agreed that the wind and the pace of the green had been a levelling factor and hinted that - besides his drives coming off and releasing some of the tensions - his nerves had been calmed by something else.

In the traditions of champions of yesteryear, Cameron had continually sipped at a handle at the clubhouse end of the green.

He emphasised that his tipple was ginger beer, but said it with a smile and the suspicion is that his glass contained a somewhat stronger fortifier.

Whatever it was that which steadied his nerves, Cameron was better on the draw over the latter stages and his composure did not even suffer when Brassey appeared to have arrested his comeback by taking a four on one end to go from 14-8 to 18-8.

A 28-year old painting contractor who moved to the Homai club four months ago, Cameron hails from Gisborne, where an early team-mate, partner and a man who has been a big help to him was former international David File.

Cameron has moved north to be nearer his four-year-old son and said his partner and son were more important to him now than bowls. But he might reassess this.

In the meantime, his immediate bowls target is the fours starting today, where he is in a composite line-up with two form players - Wellington's Rob Ashton and North Harbour's Brett Turner - plus Harbour's John Walker.

The wind also affected the women's final, which Manawatu's Sharon Sims won 21-17 over Taranaki's Cathy Fleming, giving Sims her second singles title to go with her 2002 win over the late Millie Khan.

The victory also enabled Sims to bring her national titles level with her three world titles.

"It was tricky, it wasn't ideal conditions," Sims said of the final's mixed quality. "At times it made you look silly."

She had no doubt that her greater experience was a decisive factor, especially after Fleming, a superb draw bowler, took a 9-5 lead.

Fleming was affected by the conditions, too.

"We both had the same problems," she said. "But Sharon is a good bowler."