Weather perfect for the bowls in Auckland.  Still conditions.

Carlton-Cornwall first port of call on our trip around the greens.  Greens looking in pristine condition.

Watch the Women’s Division 2 Singles match between two South Island rivals – Southland’s Bronwyn Stevens and Dunedin’s Sarah Scott.  Sarah shows consistent bowls throughout the match.  Bronwyn changes the length to try and change the flow of the game.  Sarah responds and closes the game out 21-8.  

Good battles in the pairs games with the North Harbour pairing of Christeen Dalzell and Theresa Rogers holding Southland’s pairing of Julie O’Connell, the Canadian Commonwealth Games representative, and Lee Grigg to a 25-11 win.  Julie’s experienced driving skills unable to stem the flow.

Pakuranga Bowling Club hosts Section 4 Women dominated by North Island teams with Central Otago the only South Island centre.  In the pairs, Whanganui versus Thames Valley proves to be a cliffhanger – right through until the last bowl.  The Whanganui skip holds shots for a draw, but manages a perfect weighted bowl to draw another shot and win by one.  Lots of high-fives for a very tense finish.

Howick Bowling Club hosts Men’s Division 1.  Several teams from last year’s top 8 qualifiers.

Exciting clash between Wellington singles player Seamus Curtin, a New Zealand development player, and Leon Van Boxtel from Central Oatgo.  In the early stages of the game Leon draws great shots, with Seamus’s driving skills finally changing the rhythm of the game – and coming away with a 21-11 win.

The Wellington team with three New Zealand Development players holds a slim lead over last year’s semi-finalists, Dunedin.

The game between the fours team of Hawkes Bay and Central Otago goes down to the wire – with an exciting 16-16 draw.

The fast greens of Howick proving to be a challenge for some players.

Day 2 will give us the results for the top qualifiers to go through to post-section play.