Alexandra's Bill Clements wants more Central Otago titles. He is not yet ready to sit on the sidelines.
Clements (65), who has won a record 64 Central Otago titles and is ranked second in New Zealand, started playing bowls 34 years ago and quickly established himself as the best bowler in the centre.
He had a successful operation on his left knee a year ago and has bounced back into bowls with more enthusiasm.
He was runner-up in four events last year but the 65th title has eluded him over the past two years.
''I would like to win more titles. It would be OK if they come but if they don't it's not a big deal and I'm not going to lose any sleep,'' Clements said.
His partner, Linley O'Callaghan, heads the Central Otago women's ranking with 32 titles. She won the open singles this season.
File under success
Former Black Jack David File (Gisborne) holds the New Zealand record with 69 Gisborne-East Coast titles. He has already won three this season.
File's taste for centre titles started when former Otago cricketer Robin Jefferson and File had both won 18 Gisborne-East Coast centre titles.
''The rivalry sparked David into action and he won 28 more titles from 1997 to 2005,'' Jefferson said.
Jefferson won the New Zealand pairs title with Peter Belliss in Dunedin in 1992, won the men's open pairs and the mixed pairs this season, and now has 47 Gisborne-East Coast titles.
The numbers game
Only four bowlers have won 50 or more centre titles in New Zealand: David File 69, Bill Clements 64, Ian Monaghan (Wairarapa) 52 and Ray Park (Wanganui) 50.
The leading title winners in the four Otago bowls centres are. -Dunedin: Men, Terry Scott 36, Ken Walker 31, Mike Kernaghan 24, Jim Scott 23, Stewart McConnell 21; women, Gaynor Reid 24, Carolyn Crawford 22, Doreen Bell 21.
Central Otago: Men, Bill Clements 64, Bill Kitto 33, Nigel Kitto 27, Bruce McKinnell 26, Tom Rutherford 25, Kevin Scott 25; women, Linley O'Callaghan 31, Margaret O'Connor 21.
South Otago: Men, Bill Barron 41, Wynston McLachlan 31, Roger Barron 27, Russell Botting 26, Les Morrison 26; women, Eileen Grant 32, Wynette McLachlan 30, Christine King 29.
North Otago: Men, Brian Papps 34, Russell McDonald 27, Ken Piner 23, Snow Rudduck 22; women, Val Lee 23, Kerry Kelly 22.
Taieri is tops
Taieri has a registered membership of 142 and is the largest bowling club in Otago. The other top clubs in Dunedin are Mornington 89, Mosgiel RSA 83, St Clair 82 and Green Island 75.
Taieri has also performed on the green with its women's team dominating centre events. It has won the three Bowls Dunedin titles completed this season.
Sue Hodges showed impressive form to win the open singles and fours and has now won 17 centre titles. She beat Lyn Rance (Green Island) 21-14 in the singles.
Raelene Walshaw and Janet Swallow beat the more experienced Green Island combination of Faye Cosgrove and Rance 16-8 to win the open pairs final.
Walshaw has been playing bowls for 12 years and this was her fourth title. She won two titles with Green Island before switching to Taieri last season. It was the 13th title for Swallow.
Kaikorai success
Joe Gordon and Russell Dawe (Kaikorai) held their nerve to score singles on the last four ends to beat Bobby Johnson and Nigel Birkbeck (Wakari) 14-13 in the open pairs.
It was Dawe's fifth title and his Bowls Dunedin gold star. It was the first title for Gordon, who has been playing bowls for 36 years.
Geoff Wilson (Kaikorai) won his 12th Bowls Dunedin title when he beat Rod Fleming (Forbury Park) 21-14 in the open singles.
He is the son of the late Ernie Wilson, who collapsed on the bowling green and died a few weeks after winning the New Zealand singles title at the Kaituna green in 1976.
Valley prepares
The North East Valley division one women's team of Sarah Scott (singles), Michelle Fallow and Dale Bourke (pairs) and Kay Hammond, Vicki Robinson, Rachael McDowall and Shona Mann (fours) will represent Dunedin at the regional playoffs of the interclub sevens in Timaru at the end of the month.
North East Valley will host the third annual Dunedin Casino-sponsored women's classic pairs on March 5-6.
Ups and downs
Andy McLean lost his first-round game at the world indoor singles to third-ranked Nicky Brett (England) 12-5, 11-7 in his World Bowls Tour debut in Norfolk, England.
Shaun Scott finished runner-up in the Burnside invitation pairs in Christchurch.
Keeping it . . .
The husband-and-wife McLachlans are closing in on the South Otago championship title records. The Clinton bowlers both occupy second spot on the table.
Wynston has won one title this season and has 31 South Otago titles. The record is held by Bill Barron with 41.
Wynette added two extra titles this season and has won 30 centre titles. Eileen Grant holds the record with 32 titles.
Neville Thomson (Balclutha) won his 13th title when he beat Lindsay McCaughan (Kaka Point) 23-3 in the final of the South Otago champion of champions singles on Sunday.
. . . in the family
The Kelly family dominated the annual New Zealand Chartered Clubs tournament in Oamaru last week.
Bruce Kelly, sons Andrew and Pat, and Merv Loper won the Moase Cup, which was the premier event of the tournament.
Two other Oamaru teams made the finals in the tournament, which attracted 400 players.
The team of Peter Bell, Hugh Catto, Dave Smillie and Darryl Whitburn finished runner-up to Hamilton in the Jim Dempsey Cup section.
The Kelly Plate was won by the Oamaru team of Joe Gordon, Trevor Williams, Gordon Brown and John Smith.
Close call
The men's under eight years (playing) regional intercentre final was won on the differential at the Taieri Bowling Club last Sunday.
The final points were: Dunedin 6 (differential plus 25), Southland 6 (differential minus 6), Central Otago 6 (differential minus 19).
Dunedin also won the women's event on the differential with 8 points (differential plus 30) from Central Otago (differential plus 25) and Southland 4 (differential minus 55).
Dunedin will represent region six at the national final in Christchurch in April.
