Long-awaited win for C. Otago

The  long drought is over. It ended on Sunday when Central Otago beat Southland in the annual inter-provincial sevens in Queenstown for the first time in nearly two decades.

The win will give the Central Otago team confidence and the realisation that they are capable of winning the inter-provincial sevens in Wellington in March.

The Central Otago men's and women's teams both beat Southland by a margin of 21-15. The development team narrowly lost on the countback to Southland. Both teams gained nine points but Southland had a better differential (plus 28) than Central Otago's (minus 28).

Chairman of the Central Otago selection panel Ric Hunt was pleased because it is nearly 20 years since Central Otago has beaten Southland in the event.

``It ended a long drought,'' he said.

The win was built around dominance in the singles and the fours. In both disciplines, Central Otago teams won six of their eight games.

The men won their four singles and the women two. Both the men and women won three fours games.

The men's singles games were significant because Sheldon Bagrie-Howley (Gore), a rising star of New Zealand bowls, lost his two games.

He was beaten by Howard O'Donnell (Clyde) and Ewan Kirk (Ranfurly). Both scores were 25-18.

These wins were significant because Bagrie-Howley was unbeaten when winning the New Zealand under-26 title in Christchurch last month.

In their other singles games, Kirk beat Andrew McGregor (Southland) 25-21 and O'Donnell beat McGregor 25-21.

Queenstown's Christine Buchannan, who won her 21st Central Otago title in the mixed pairs with clubmate Lindsay Thomas last month, also had two wins in the singles.

She beat Bronwyn Stevens 25-18 and Lynda Milne 25-16.

The Central Otago men's four of Alan Brash, Dion Kiddey, Neville Kemp and Roger O'Brien beat Southland teams skipped by Lyall Spencer 15-10 and Stu Dickson 23-15.

The Central Otago women's four of Imelda Holdom, Carol Woods, Andrea Dowman and Ruth Grant also won both games against Southland's Marlene Orlowski 24-8 and Ange Francis 18-12.

A key player in the Central Otago men's development team was Roxburgh's Ethan Kitto (16), who is the third generation of the fruit-orchard family to play bowls. His grandfather Bill Kitto won 33 Central Otago titles and his father, Nigel, won 27 centre titles.

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