Bowls: Top-echelon players fail to qualify

The chances of Australian-based Richard Girvan (Onehunga) and Shaun Scott (North East Valley) making the Commonwealth Games took a tumble yesterday when they failed to qualify in the singles.

That was the major upset on the third day of the New Zealand bowls championships in Dunedin.

The pair failed to make the Black Jacks for the Trans Tasman series or the tour to Wales and Scotland this year and needed good performances at the national championships to get back into the frame.

Girvan (40), who has played more than 200 games for the Black Jacks since 2006 and was a World Bowls champion in the fours in 2008, failed to win a game on the St Clair green.

He lost to Craig Carter (Methven) 21-16, Terry Scott (North East Valley) 21-16 and Mike Kernaghan (Kaikorai) 21-19.

Scott (49), a Cromwell contractor, won his second singles title last year when he beat Black Jack Dan Delany (Onehunga) 21-10 in the final in New Plymouth last year. His early exit was a major surprise. Lance Pascoe (Belfast), another top-echelon bowler, also failed to qualify.

Former Southlander Paul McKinnell (Elmwood) qualified when he came from behind to beat Craig McCaw (Kaikorai) 21-14. He won the New Zealand mixed pairs title with Averil Fowler (Balfour) last year.

Former World Bowls champion Peter Belliss (Aramoho) demonstrated his class by winning his three qualifying games on the North East Valley green.

Against Mitchell Will (North East Valley) he drew three shots inside Will's best bowl, which was only 10cm from the jack.

Ken Walker (Taieri) clinched his post-section spot when he beat Will 21-15 in his final game.

Peter Sain (Cornwall Carlton) qualified with four wins. His hardest game was against Duane White (Forbury Park), whom he beat 21-20. Post-section play in the men's pairs and women's singles starts this morning.