Defending champions the Mainland Mariners are tucked in behind the frontrunners after one match of round-robin play in the women's Super 8 bowls competition in Hamilton.
They shared the honours of two matches apiece with 1999 champions Taranaki/Wanganui.
But they claimed the bonus point for overall shots advantage thanks to an emphatic
41-5 win by the international pairing of Val Smith and Jo Edwards over the experienced Arabia Kemp and Syria Prescott.
Marlene Castle set frontrunners Tri North on the way with a 21-10 win over Winnie McLelland of the Southern Pride team.
With the pair and four also winning, the northerners took three match points and the bonus point for overall shots advantage.
Level on four points are the Honda Hurricanes, for whom evergreen Judy Howat skipped a decisive 28-17 pairs win.
The Hurricanes women reached the semifinals last year but will do well to do so again.
Kapiti's Audrey Stevenson plays the singles, and Howat and Paula Meredith are an interesting pairs combination.
Wairarapa's Shona Wilkie is in the middle of Wellington's Mavis Woodman and Jo Climo in the triple, and Patricia Wishnowsky skips a four of Anna Basile, Barbara Herrett and Lui Hare.
In the men's event, titleholders Dorchester Tridents shared the honours with the Hurricanes, and now trail in fifth place. With a full round-robin they have six matches over today and tomorrow to make the top four and a playoff place.
The Hurricanes' strength appears to be in the singles and pairs areas, with Adam Newman (singles) and Rob Ashton and Eddie Irving (pairs).
But Newman will have to do a lot better than he did in the recent Octagonal tournament in Palmerston North.
The Mariners are out in front in the men's competition after Andrew Curtain showed the selectors he is back to form with a 21-13 win over fellow international Sean Johnson.
Elsewhere Russell Meyer is one of four Australian-based players brought back to play in this event, and he justified the trip with a 21-13 win over Aucklander Petar Sain, twice national singles champion.
Although Taranaki/Wanganui benefited from Brian Baldwin's return in the pairs, former international Gary Lawson skipped the Mariners triple to victory over Peter Belliss, also in Taranaki/Wanganui colours.
The top four teams in both men's and women's competitions after the round-robin series will contest the semifinals on Monday morning, with the finals to follow at lunchtime.
- NZPA
