And they’re out the starting blocks!
The eagerly anticipated BLK National Championships is now in full swing, with more than 400 bowlers, both men and women, converging on Dunedin to vye for national honours.
Day one saw the Men’s Singles and Women’s Pairs get underway at the stunning Taieri Headquarters and 19 supporting greens, with qualifiers for the men found after four gruelling rounds and the women completing the first half of their pursuit for post-section in favourable weather conditions.
Notable match-ups saw former world champion pairing Jo Edwards and Val Smith take on reigning champions Dale Rayner and Ashleigh Jeffcoat in round one, with Edwards and Smith demonstrating their intentions early on, comfortably closing out a 25-13 victory.
Other highlights saw Dunedin junior and former Otago golfer Brent McEwan dispatch Scottish international and former World U25 Singles Champion Ryan Burnett in round two, though Burnett’s experience proving superior as he marked three wins to progress, while double world champion Gary Lawson was made to work hard for his post-section spot, receiving a second round scare to Canterbury’s Rohan Ware, before closing out his remaining two fixtures in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, it was almost business as usual across the greens in the men’s singles as defending champion Dean Elgar, along with World Champion Shannon McIlroy and former winners Mike Kernaghan, Peter Belliss, Peter Hodson and Shaun Scott, among other strong title contenders coasted to post-section play, posting at least three wins from four in section play to advance and keep their hopes alive.
Former champ takes early exit: Established Blackjack's skipper Ali Forsyth will be left wondering what might have been, crashing out of the National Singles in emphatic fashion losing both early round fixtures in qualifying. (Photo credit Fairfax Media)
The major casualty of the day went the way of acclaimed Blackjack skipper Ali Forsyth, who narrowly missed out on qualifying, falling to the hands of Victoria’s Richard Corry and local up and comer Keri Rupene, with Forsyth proving his only win of the day.
Other notable omissions in post section include Canterbury Open representative Paul McKinnel, Lance Tasker, Terry Scott, Marty Kreft and Canadian international Pat Bird, while the young brigade of Seamus Curtin, Sheldon Bagrie-Howley, Caleb Hope, Keanu Darby, Conor Muir and Bradley Down lived up to their billing, rounding out a successful start to their tournament hopes.
In other results, the women’s pairs saw all pre-tournament favourite combinations post a strong day on the greens, with Edwards (Smith), Sarah Scott (Bronwyn Stevens), Reen Stratford (Linda Ralph), Claire McKee (Shona Elder), Maureen Doherty (Carrie-Jane Hargrave), Sandra Keith (Serena Matthews), Amy McIlroy (Selina Goddard), Katelyn Inch (Tayla Bruce), Bev Morel (Sherrie Cottle) and Canadian international Kelly McKerihen (Jan Shirley) record a clean sweep on day one.
Heading in to day two, all eyes will be fixed firmly on the other formidable duos looking to put their foot down with the likes of Mandy and Angela Boyd, Kirsten Edwards and mum Leigh Griffin, among other fierce contenders sitting on two wins, with a final last gasp finish to progress, while the first day of the men’s pairs gets underway. The pairs format sees all teams play six fixtures with four wins required to progress.
Host clubs for section play include; Andersons Bay, Balmacewen, Brighton, Caversham, Dunedin Westpac Stadium, Fairfield, Forbury Park, Green Island, Kaikorai, Leith, Milton, Mornington, Mosgiel Memorial RSA, North East Valley, Outram, St Clair, St Kilda, Waihola and Waikari.
Action continues through until Monday, January 8, 2018 - with all finals culminating at Taieri from January 6 onwards.
Men’s Singles Qualifiers
Richard Corry (Victoria), Paul King (Andersons Bay), Mike Small (Burnside), Rory Soden (Browns Bay), Warren Tisdall (Taieri), Eric Pattillo (Tauranga South), Dean Elgar (West End), Coryn Huddy (Taieri), Keanu Darby (North East Valley), Bart Robertson (Helensville), Caleb Hope (Gore), Rob Ashton (Carlton Cornwall), Sean Thompson (Bowls Oxford), Doug Thomas (North East Valley), Seamus Curtin (Stokes Valley), Barry Williams (Burnside), John Adams (Levin), Max Grey (Green Island), Colin Gawith (Coromandel), Peter Hodson (Stoke), Shane Pascoe (Blaketown), Willi Simonsen (Mornington), Robert Wilson (Finegand), Dean Harper (Kia Toa), Justin Goodwin (Eastbourne), Michael Beesley (Beresford), Raymond Martin (Victoria), Richard Girvan (Nelson Bays), Andy McLean (North East Valley), Jonty Horwell (Kaikorai), Gavin Stanbury (Belfast), Shannon McIlroy (Stoke), Alan Augustson (Andersons Bay), Joseph Van der Pennen (Papanui), Wayne Hewitt (Fairfield), Nick Buttar (Mercury Bay), Lawrence Quek (Halswell), Darren Broome (Hokonui), Peter Belliss (Aramoho), Bob McAuley (Forbury Park), Brent McEwan (St Clair), Michael Bissenden (Balclutha), Sean O’Neill (Kia Toa), Mike Kernaghan (North East Valley), Lance Pascoe (Belfast), Mark Burgess (Victoria), Laurie Guy (Victoria), Tom Tamati (St Clair), Evan Roberts (North East Valley), Richard Hocking (Burnside), Kevin Diggs (Halswell), Alan Veitch (Melbourne), Andrew Kelly (St Albans), Andrew McCallum (Andersons Bay), Paul Matheson (Halswell), Paul Everett (St Clair), Jamie Hill (Eastbourne), Alvin Gardiner (Soldiers Point), Shayne Sincock (Belfast), Don Cameron (Hikurangi), Joko Susilo (Andersons Bay), David Ball (Mt Wellington), Petar Sain (Carlton Cornwall), Craig Merrilees (Waikiwi), Mark Burgess (Victoria), Ryan Burnett (Broadbeach), Bradley Down (Victoria), Sonny Tautari (Northend), John Drayton (Hampstead), Sheldon Bagrie-Howley (Gore), Conor Muir (Clyde), Simon Swale (Te Rangi), Callum Horwell (Kaikorai), Steve Hoeft (Pt Chevalier), Tony Grantham (Browns Bay), Alister Watson (Clyde), Ta Rito (Bridge Park), Graham Low (Te Rangi), Luke Mataora (Bridge Park), Tony Fabling (Hillcrest), Max Grey (Green Island), Karl Garrett (Thames), Trevor Barbara (Coolum Beach), Richard Kerr (Kia Toa), Alan Wilkinson (Kia Toa), Jim Scott (North East Valley), Geoff Wilson (Kaikorai), Martin Abel (Beckenham), Gary Lawson (Eastbourne).
