One was the clash between past Blackjacks Shaun Scott and Blake Signal in the first round.
Signal (Nelson Bays) appeared to be in control as kept his nose in front. However, after leading 13-11 lead after 13 ends, Signal succumbed to a persistent Scott. The 2009 tournament champion locked the game up at 13-13 on the 14th end and took a 14-13 lead on the 15th end. Signal hit back over the next five ends to appear odds-on to win the race to 25 as he led 22-14 after 21 ends.
But Scott fought back and, four ends later, the Bannockburn bowler had the game locked up again at 22-22. On the 26th end, he took the lead for the second time at 23-22.
Scott then scored two on the 27th end to win the game.
Scott accounted for Brent McEwan (St Clair) in the second round 25-11.
Another past Blackjack Jamie Hill (Onehunga and Districts) appeared well in control of his first-round match against Australian international Scott Thulborn when he held a 20-9 lead after 20 ends. But Thulborn clawed his way back to draw level over the next five ends. Despite Hill scoring a three on the 26th end to be in sight of victory, Thulborn found another gear over the next four ends to win 25-23 in a hard-fought 30-end affair.
Thulborn then beat Doug Thomas (NEV) 25-17, while Hill lost to 25-23 to Andre Smith (Marlborough).
The Kaikorai greens were full of upsets in the first round including veteran Bill Clements’ 25-16 win against teenager Seamus Clements (Wellington) and the 25-21 victory of Roger Stevens (Re Rangi) over past Blackjack and multiple national titleholder Gary Lawson (Eastbourne) .
Gore bowlers Elliot Mason and Caleb Hope went hammer and tongs in their first round, Hope squeaking home 25-24. Hope then defeated Bob McAuley (Central Otago) 25-19.
Fellow Gore representative Sheldon Bagrie-Howley battled his way to a first-round victory over Dave Archer (Taieri) 25-20 but lost 25-16 to Keanu Darby (NEV) in the second round Tournament favourites Aaron Wilson (Australia) and Ryan Bester (Canada) progressed through the first round unscathed. Bester defeated Paddy Stewart (Kaiapoi) 25-2 and Wilson accounted for Kaikoura’s Josh Boyd 25-16.
In the second round, Wilson had to dig deep to overcome Rory Soden (North Harbour) 25-23 while Bester downed Sean O’Neill (Timaru) 25-16.
The second-round boilover was the win of Mark Watt (30) against 2011 tournament champion and Blackjack Tony Grantham (North Shore) 25-24. Watt is a former member of the North East Valley Club who is now based in Nelson Bays.
