City team claims prize scalp

INDOOR BOWLS: It came pretty close in the end, but Wanganui bowler Warrick Pinker (RSA Mixed) sneaked into post-section play in the national bowls fours yesterday, knocking over one of the better teams to do it.
Local teams to qualify in the Lion-sponsored event at Wanganui's Jubilee Stadium included Kevin Coombe, Cary Pinker, Garry Petersen, Barbara Bull (Eastown Club), Warrick Pinker, Colin Watson, Shane Broderson, Beryl Watson (Eastown Club), Brent Biggar, Mike Sackfield, Les Heywood, Diane Davies (Carlton School), John Lister, Brian McCarthy, Lorna Sorenson, and Jeanette Taylor (RSA Mixed), and Brad Thorne, Jean Silk, Murray and Sheryl Ansley (Springvale). Coombe had no problems at all, but Pinker needed to beat or tie with the previously unbeaten Neil Bartosh (Waikato) to get through, after an earlier loss to Northland's Graham Flanagan.
Pinker's outfit started well, getting out to a six-point lead after Bartosh killed an end when he had not meant to. But the Waikato team started to edge back at Pinker's front started to wobble with the pressure.
There was a two, a single, and then two ones ? and with the final end being played, it was all square.
Pinker held the shot early, but matters change quickly in indoor bowls and there was a swing back and forth before the Wanganui team held on.
Brent Biggar's team was in impressive form, beating North island rep Mike Dempsey (Taranaki), who had one of last year's winning fours team in his unit.
Wanganui teams to miss out included those skipped by Craig Scrivener (Eastown), Graeme Biggar (Carlton) and Maria Klitscher (St Johns).
Auckland's Barry Kinnaird, a four-times national champion and a member of the champion four last year, was a key qualifier. He was playing with Ken Gash, Carol Wright and Yvonne Worthington.
Two other members of the 2004 champion team Leon Bates and Gary Taiaroa also qualified. They were playing with Richard Caddy and Paul Wright.
Another four-times champion, Kevin Boothby (Waikato) lost his second game but went on to qualify with two wins and a draw. His team comprised Alan Solly, Tony Fabling and Pam Hamilton. Rod Fleming (Hawkes Bay) another player looking for his gold star, made it through. He was playing with Ross Hamilton, Sue Fleming and Mark Appleby.
Three-times national champions Nigel Warnes (Nelson), Graham Pedersen (Waikato), John Zittersteijn (North Taranaki), Colin Taylor (Auckland) and Kevin Coombe (Wanganui) are through to post section.
Notable players to miss out included the New Zealand men's fours captain Trevor Gould, who was playing with four-times national champion Mike Phipps, Lisa Hoult and Lorraine Phipps (North Taranaki). They lost to John Eichler (Waikato) and Rhonda Middleton (Canterbury).
This year's singles champion Richard Griffiths (Canterbury) has not qualified in any of the other events. In the fours he played with Michael Lawson (Ashburton) and two Wanganui players Noel Kenny and Ann Kendrick. They recorded one win and one draw.
New Zealand representatives Rae Inglis (Golden Bay-Motueka), Sandra Keith (Ashburton) and Dale Lang (North Wellington) all missed out in their respective teams.
The draw for triples post-section for Wanganui area teams today:
8.30am: Les Heywood (Carlton) v Ross Hamilton; Dennis Hurley (Carlton) v John Zittersteijn; Denis Boss (Westmere) v Shaun Burnaud; Sue Hackett (Carlton) v David Wadsworth; Jonathon Warrington (Manawatu, containing Brent Biggar) v Alayne Webster, Cary Pinker (RSA Mixed) v Dale Lang, Kevin Coombe (Eastown) v Kevin Frelan.