Aussie pulls rank on Sergent

Jesse Sergent in action during the men's individual pursuit. Photo / Getty Images

Track cyclists Jesse Sergent and Eddie Dawkins pedalled New Zealand on to the Commonwealth Games medal table today, looking about as happy as they would if they'd just punctured.

Sergent was widely tipped to win the men's individual pursuit only to lose to Australian Jack Bobridge, who he had beaten at the world championships in Copenhagen this year.

Sam Bewley missed out on a medal when he was well beaten by Australian third-fastest qualifier Michael Hepburn in the rideoff for bronze.

Dawkins also had eyes for the top step of the podium in the 1000m time trial, only to ride below his best and get shunted into the bronze medal by Australian arch rival Scott Sunderland and unsung Malaysian Mohd Rizal Tisin.

Dawkins found it difficult to delight in a bronze medal when he rode nearly 1.5 seconds slower than when fifth in Copenhagen, in a time that would have been enough to win today.

Sergent managed to be more upbeat about his silver, recognising Bobridge was a quality rider who had turned it on at the right time.

"We knew it would come down to the final six-eight laps, where I had to bring that back. I didn't quite do it in time."

Others to come close to medals were Alison Shanks, in the women's 500m time trial, and swimmer Daniel Bell, who was just pipped for bronze in the men's 50m backstroke.

Deserving of a medal for their long and sterling service were netballer Irene van Dyk, who played a record 111th test for the Silver Ferns, and men's hockey captain Phil Burrows, who claimed his 250th test cap.

It was a great day for New Zealanders waving rackets, bats, and sticks as the badminton team played their way into the quarterfinals, as did squash players Jaclyn Hawkes and Joelle King, and the women's table tennis team spearheaded by Karen Li.

Both hockey sides won, the men 7-1 against Trinidad and Tobago, the women 5-0 over Malaysia, while the netballers thrashed the Cook Islands 87-24 and now take a day off before their crucial pool match against England.

Women's lawn bowls pair Jan Khan and Manu Timoti extended their run as smiling assassins with a fourth straight win, and archer Shaun Teasdale made individual compound quarterfinals as all around him his teammates were felled by enemy arrows.

New Zealanders also proved adept at punching and avoiding being punched back, with all three boxers in action - lightweight Angus Donaldson, middleweight Nathon (crrct) McEwen and light welterweight Anthony Taylor - winning first round bouts.

In the pool, Glenn Snyders qualified third fastest for the men's 100m breaststroke final, and Melissa Ingram fifth fastest in the women's 100m backstroke.

Snyders was also Commonwealth Games recordholder for a couple of minutes, until Australian Christian Sprenger set a new mark before the ink dried in the recordbook.

- NZPA