Bowls: Big names swept aside by hot pair

Canterbury bowler Kelvin Scott and his Manawatu partner Philip Skoglund jnr became slight favourites to win the national pairs title in Wednesday's final with back to back wins at Henderson yesterday over two of New Zealand's biggest names, Rowan Brassey and Rob Ashton.

Scott and Skoglund, who have not played together since representing New Zealand against South Australia nearly five years ago, won a 14-10 thriller over Brassey and his Auckland lead Jamie Hill and then needed just 17 of the 18 ends to beat Wellington's Ashton and his North Harbour partner, Brent Turner.

Just a few hours previously Ashton and Turner had routed a strong pair in Richard Girvan and Danny O'Connor, but Scott and Skoglund had their measure 18-12.

But those impressive scalps were not the victories which were uppermost in Scott's mind last night as he contemplated Wednesday's semifinal against Aucklanders Ivan Marsic and Neil Fisher. Scott was more preoccupied with what he considered his biggest break of the day against Henderson's Steve Cox and Gary Breckon yesterday.

"Steve probably played the best against us of anyone all day," Scott said. "Three or four ends out he had us in trouble when I got a slide off a wide bowl and managed to kill it.

"And then when we'd gone to an extra end I run off his shot with my last bowl."

That gave Scott and Skoglund an 18-17 win and though there was a bigger margin in the last-16 match with Brassey and Hill this, too, had a heartstopping finish.

Brassey came close to forcing the match to an extra end by all but picking up three shots when 13-10 down on the 18th end. But with Brassey holding three Scott, with his last bowl, drew second shot.

It was an ice-cool performance under pressure which prompted Brassey to predict that Scott and Skoglund, the son of the great Phil and a fine bowler in his own right, would go on now and win the title.

Scott, 42 and the national singles champion in 1998, was in Brassey's view one of the forgotten men of New Zealand bowls. "Kelvin plays really good bowls," said Brassey.

However, Scott is a little surprised he has done so well at this tournament. "I nearly didn't come to these nationals and it was only after playing in the same pairs tournament as Philip in Wellington that I agreed to come. I said I'd only come if I was in a good team."

As well as the pairs he and Skoglund will be in a composite four with Wellingtonian Bruce Henderson and another Manawatu player, Craig Gush.

Carlton's Marsic and Fisher made the semfinals with a win after an extra end over Dunedin's Steve Beel and Geoff Wilson, the latter the son of a national champion from the 1960s, Ernie. The form of Marsic, a previous national champion in fours, suggests that he will be formidable opposition for the inform Scott and Skoglund.

The other semifinal on Wednesday morning will be between Tauranga South's Graham Skellern and Merv Gibbons and a pair of experienced Waikato representatives, Kevin Robinson and Steve Posa.

Both of these combinations were in splendid form yesterday and while perhaps in the less cut-throat part of the draw achieved big victories.

* A bumper crowd, helped by a $500 donation, contributed $1728 in a special collection to the Red Crosss tsunami relief fund. Another collection will be held at Wednesday's finals.