Bowls: Experience takes the titles

Ali Forsyth.Photo / Natalie Slade

New Zealand representative Ali Forsyth (Havelock) and Victoria Bowling Club's Helen King won national titles at Taieri Bowling Club in Dunedin yesterday.

The championship finals pitted experienced bowlers against much younger opponents in the Heartland Bank national open singles.

Forsyth (34) beat 19-year-old Australian Sean Ingham (Broadbeach) 21-20, with a stunning last bowl that clinched the Blackjack his third men's singles title. Forsyth was also victorious in 2003 and 2004.

Leading for much of the game, Forsyth dropped three late in the match to place Ingham one point from the title, 19-20. With Ingham holding shot in the final end, the pressure was on Forsyth.

Holding two seconds, he used his last bowl to great effect - flicking Ingham's out, picking up two and stepping into the winner's circle.

"I came with no expectation of winning the singles, so I came here in a relaxed mode and enjoyed it. It's still extremely special."

In the women's final, King met rising star Tayla Bruce, 18, of Burnside, and came out on top dominating 21-14.

Bruce was no pushover but never gained the upper hand. Behind King 10-20, Bruce made a break for 21 with four singles in a row; King replied with her own to seal the deal, and confirmed the title.

Meanwhile, in a stunning performance Bowls New Zealand president Ann Muir (skip) and Carolyn Crawford (composite) bested 2008 world champion bowlers Jo Edwards (skip) and Val Smith (composite) in the final of the women's pairs, 22-15.

The men's title was won by Blackjack Tony Grantham (skip) and partner Michael Nagy in a match that went down to the wire.

But it was the women's match that entranced. Despite the tournament being Muir and Crawford's first outing together, and barely knowing each other, the pair did well from the outset.

Two fives on the 10th and 12th ends gave them an 18-7 lead they held in the face of Edwards' response - a five on the 13th end to make it 12-18 in Muir's favour.

Muir and Crawford wrapped things up without having to play the final end by taking a three in the 17th. It was a first for Crawford and Muir's second (2005 fours), but Muir also earned the distinction of being the first president in modern times to be a national title winner.