The Dunedin team of Judy Robertson and Michelle Fallow was the only one to make a clean sweep and win four games at the North East Valley green yesterday.
They were the standout team on the first day of the second annual Dunedin Casino Women's Classic Pairs yesterday. With prize money of $5000, it is the elite women's invitation bowls tournament in the country and has attracted the best bowlers.
Robertson and Fallow established their dominance in the first game, when they beat the Dunedin pair of Lorraine Turnbull and Trish Marr 17-7.
They followed this with 14-10 wins against the Taieri pair of Janet Swallow and Pam Walker, and Barbara Archer and Anne Curtis (Dunedin).
They had to work harder in their final game of the day, when they beat Lisa Hart (Marlborough) and Malia Tavite (Forbury Park) 13-11.
The only other unbeaten team yesterday was Lynn Rance (Green Island) and Sandra Keith (Dunsandel).
They won their first three games but were held to a 12-all draw by Donna Scott (North East Valley) and former international Anne Muir (Northland).
Eight of the 24 teams had three wins but one of these teams in section one will miss the cut.
Teams in contention in this section are Noreen Paul and Carolyn West (Dunedin); Beth Brown (Taieri) and Lynley O'Callaghan (Alexandra); and Cindi Ewart (Outram) and Wynette McLachlan (Clinton).
Last year's champion Jenny Dyhrberg (Taieri) has a new skip this year and is partnered by Reen Stratford (Auckland), who was runner-up in this year's New Zealand singles at Auckland.
A team that could win the final is Sarah Scott (North East Valley) and New Zealand Development Squad member Dale Rayner (Wellington).
The top two teams in each section go into the quarterfinal of the event and have a chance of winning the $2000 winners purse.
The final is expected to start at the North East Valley green at 3pm today.
