Bowls: 'Get to 21 first' best advice, says champ

By his own admission, Alan Dickson is a nervous wreck before any bowls match.

He got only two hours' sleep before arriving at Naenae Bowling Club yesterday morning to play Ali Forsyth, 26, in the final of the men's singles in the national championship.

But it took Dickson, who lives in Marton and plays out of the Castlecliff club in Wanganui, just 21 ends to despatch his more illustrious opponent 21-14 in a one-sided battle, winning 17 ends.

Forsyth, from United in Nelson, was seeking his third national singles title in four years and was the hot favourite against Dickson.

"Alan played the best bowls over the last week and is a thoroughly deserving winner," Forsyth said.

Dickson said his stomach was churning until he put his first bowl next to the jack.

"I never really thought the final was in my sights," Dickson said.

"I had Rowan Brassey in my last game two days ago and I said, 'How am I going to beat him' and someone said, 'Get to 21 first.'

"That was very good advice and then I got one on the first end and I thought, 'Good, I won't get beaten 21-0', then my next goal was to get to 10 and I got 10 and then it was all over pretty quick."

The men's doubles final was fought out between four friends, Peter Petherick and Jim Vevers and Rex Holmes and Brian Howman, all current or former members of the Paraparaumu club.

Petherick and Vevers thumped defending champions Kevin Robinson and Steve Posa 20-12 and Holmes and Howman then beat the "dream team" combination of Gary Lawson and Rowan Brassey 19-12 in the other, the score tied 17-17 with the 18th and final end to play.

The Holmes-Howman combination defeated Petherick and Vevers 21-14 in the final.

And a late decision to have one more tilt at the national championships paid off in spades for Raumati South's Audrey Stevenson.

Stevenson won the women's singles title when she beat Taranaki's Lois Ritnor of Inglewood 21-18 in the final.

In the pairs, reigning world pairs champion and New Zealand Player of the Year Sharon Sims and her lead, Mary Campbell, from Taupo, beat Commonwealth Games representatives Nelson's Jo Edwards and Val Smith, both of United, 19-15.

Sharon Sims from Northern hails from Palmerston North.

- NZPA