Bowls: Martin stamps his mark

Lois Grey of Elmwood, Christchurch, qualified for post-section play in the women's pairs. Photo / Otago Daily Times

It was a day of upsets at the New Zealand bowls championships in Dunedin yesterday with form and experienced bowlers crashing out.

Black Jack Ali Forsyth (Taren Point) and former international Ken Walker (Fairfield) failed to qualify in the singles.

Forsyth, the New Zealand singles player at World Bowls in 2008 and at this year's Commonwealth Games, lost his second game to Alvin Gardiner (Elmwood) 21-10 and needed to win his fourth and final game to qualify for post-section play.

He lost to promising 21-year-old Wellington bowler Ray Martin (Victoria) 21-18.

Walker, the runner-up at last year's championship singles, also needed to win his fourth game but lost to another promising youngster, Matt Gallop (Cabramatta) 21-7.

"It was mind-blowing," Martin said. "It's a good feeling to know you can foot it with the best in the world."

It was a top performance because Forsyth has an impressive record and is ranked fourth in the world.

Forsyth won the New Zealand singles title in 2003 and 2004 and has also won a world champion of champions singles title.

Martin, a student at the New Zealand Institute of Sport in Wellington, needed steady nerves when Forsyth came back at him late in the game.

Forsyth looked to have the game sewn up when he led 12-7 after 10 ends but Martin showed pluck and came back to score nine shots on the next four ends to lead 16-12.

Forsyth then used his experience to fight back into a winning position and led 18-17 after 19 ends.

"I had to make sure I didn't give up," Martin said. "I had to fight back to put him out."

He did this on the final end when he put four shots on the head and forced Forsyth to drive to save the game.

"If he'd hit the jack he would have had three shots and won the game," Martin said.

Gallop comes from Blenheim but has played professionally for the Cabramatta club in Sydney for the past 18 months.

The decisive part of his game came when he led Walker 8-3 after five ends. He then scored 12 shots on the next four ends to extend the lead to 16-3 to take Walker out of the game.

Former champions to qualify in the singles were Jim Scott (North East Valley), Gary Lawson (Eastbourne), Richard Collett (Stoke), Terry Scott (North East Valley) and Mike Kernaghan (Kaikorai).

There was also an upset in the women's pairs when defending champion Bev Crowe (Carlton Cornwall) was eliminated in her must-win final.

Her partner this year was Denise Samuel. They were beaten by the Feilding Composite team of Sue Way and Robyn Schischka 21-12 who qualified for post-section play.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES