Bowls: Fours skips old hands at winning titles

The greens at the Hutt headquarters are set for a classic encounter in the fours final of the men's nationals in Wellington today, as the Avondale four, under skip Rowan Brassey, face off against the composite Gary Lawson side for the title.

The comparisons between the teams are uncanny. Brassey, as defending champion, is looking for his sixth win in the fours, Lawson his fifth.

But Lawson's four have more overall titles. Lawson leads the total with seven of his own, Andrew Curtain adds another five. Brassey has six, with him the experienced Ross Haresnape has three previous national titles, Jamie Hill one.

Brassey has youth in 21-year-old Hill on board, and both will have an eye on convener of selectors Peter Shaw as the 10-man transtasman side at full international and under-30 level are named on Sunday.

For Lawson, Adam Newman and Glen McDonald, both under 30, also have a last chance to catch Shaw's eye to join Hill in the development side.

And the possible recall of Lawson himself to the international fold is the subject of speculation.

The odd man out? Avondale's Mike Reid replaces former international Kerry Chapman from last year's winning combination.

Reid has no national titles and is unlikely to be in the transtasman side, but is an experienced, skilful and gritty competitor by no means out of place in the star-studded final.

The Auckland quartet made the final thanks to a 29-25 win over Dunedin's former champion Terry Scott.

Brassey got away to a flyer, up 7-1 after just three ends, extending away to 17-5 after 10 and 27-10 after 17.

Scott came back to score two, two, three and four, and at 27-21 with four to play, the match was still there for the taking. But Brassey snuffed out the revival with two singles, and conceded twos on each of the final ends to take the game.

Lawson's semifinal battle with the surviving local side under Silverstream's Mark Noble was closer, but had a certain air of inevitability.

Noble led early, but never got the jump on Lawson, and by the 11th end Lawson had the lead back at 11-8.

Noble was right in it at 12-13 down, but was under pressure to rescue or swing an end too often, missing a save on the 15th and conceding a four to go 12-17 down.

The lead was out to eight by the 19th and 10 after 23, but Noble is clearly not one to walk until the umpire raises the finger, and he killed the 24th end to keep the scorers on hand in the gathering gloom.

However, Lawson added a single on the replayed end and Noble shook hands at 27-16. Earlier, Noble had beaten Brian Gibson, of Waikanae, 27-18 to earn his crack at Lawson, who for his part had overcome Wayne Mather, of Tawa, 33-14.

In the bottom half of the draw, Brassey had disposed of Dave Burgess (Te Rangi) 30-9, and Scott had eased away from Ray Hunt's Beckenham four to win 23-18.