Bowls: On-fire Kernaghan in gold star territory

Mike Kernaghan was merciless at Browns Bay yesterday. Photo / Photosport

Dunedin's Mike Kernaghan moved to the brink of a gold star for winning five national bowls titles after qualifying for today's men's singles final with a majestic performance over another champion, Gary Lawson, yesterday.

With immaculate draw bowls at Browns Bay, Kernaghan crushed Lawson 21-5 to set up an all-South Island final against another multiple national champion, Canterbury's Alvin Gardiner.

Kernaghan won the singles titles in 2001-02, the pairs in 2007 and the fours last year. Few would bet against him doing so, even against a player as good as Gardiner. As well as overcoming Lawson yesterday, he beat Auckland's accomplished Petar Sain.

His form has been so good, there has been talk about whether Kernaghan, still on top of his game at 59, might be a contender for the Black Jacks. But he dismissed any possibility of that happening.

"I'm still unavailable," he said.

Kernaghan will team up with Lawson in the fours, starting tomorrow. Even though he won their match comfortably, he was still in awe of Lawson's ability.

"In my view, he's still the best fours skip in the country," he said.

Gardiner came from behind to win his semifinal against Hawke's Bay's Neil Barron 21-20 after trailing 18-8.

His win denied Barron the chance of emulating his grandfather, Jeff Barron, who won the national singles final from Bob McDonald in 1962 and represented New Zealand in two Commonwealth Games.

Barron, 50, has only resumed bowls after a 15-year break.

Lawson aroused speculation about his chances of an international recall with a 21-11 win over another standout of the game, Peter Belliss.

While veterans largely dominated the men's singles, today's women's pairs final will highlight the rise of youth.

Mandy Boyd and her sister Angela, from Canterbury's Burnside club, will meet Nicole Toomey, from Wellington's Victoria club, and Katelyn Inch, from Oxford in north Canterbury.

The Boyd sisters are 23 and 28 respectively and Toomey and Inch, products of Bowls New Zealand's youth programme, are 19.

The Boyds had a comfortable win over Wellington's Leigh Griffin, who will play today's singles final, and her daughter, Kirsten.

But Toomey and Inch came from behind to snatch victory from Auckland's Karen Hema and Commonwealth Games representative Selina Goddard, who seemed to be headed for the win only to drop a five on the 17th end.