The first lot of section play at the 2024 Summerset Bowls National Championships have come to conclusion, with qualifiers confirmed in the Men's and Women's Fours. Over 160 fours teams have descended upon Taranaki to contest the two championships, .
A fresh-looking New Zealand bowls team has been named for the world championships, with proven performers Shannon McIlroy and Ali Forsyth both missing the cut.
Symes led the final 16-9 after 11 of the 18 ends. But Kernaghan took a four on the next end – the third of the game – to tighten up the contest. Symes took a two on the next end, but then Kernaghan got on a run and including a three on the penultimate head, his team grabbed the lead for the first time. Both Scott and MacDonell produced top draw shots on the deciding end, before Gray, with his second delivery, immaculately drew the jack a few centimetres to hold two. Kernaghan, a highly decorated player, had to watch with frustration when his last drive hit the head but he still found himself two down when the dust settled and both the jack and Gray’s toucher ended up in the ditch. It was his third successive fours final defeat.
Playing an Auckland combination of Caroline Dubios and Denise West – who also needed the win to qualify – it was Dubios and West that prevailed 15-11. There were some anxious moments for some of the other contenders, but in the final wash up they survived. Included in that group were the champions of two seasons ago in the women’s pairs, Lisa Prideaux and Val Smith. Smith suffered a second loss on Wednesday morning – following one on Tuesday – going down 18-16 to Kirsty Hill. Hill is the sister of men’s pairs winner, Jamie. But with wins in the last two rounds were enough for Prideaux and Smith to make Thursday’s rounds.