Horgan and Ellery to clash in quarterfinals

Manawatu representatives Pat Horgan and Ross Ellery are the only name players left to fight for the centre singles title at Terrace End at the weekend.

The Palmerston North club-mates will meet in the first of the quarterfinals. Horgan put paid to last year's runner-up, Ray Lovie, while titleholder Shane Rogers failed to qualify for post-section play.

However, it was Rogers' national pairs team-mate, Grant Simms, who stole the show, beating the centre's premier bowler, Phillip Skoglund, to advance to the last eight.

Simms, the skip of the victorious Manawatu development four at last week's quadrangular at Levin, matched Skoglund from the outset and showed great composure to win, 21-18.

Rogers and Simms had made the last eight at the nationals, only to be beaten in a tense encounter by eventual winner Gary Lawson.

Simms, a five-year bowler from the Terrace End club, showed that the experience gained in Wellington stood him in good stead against such a formidable opponent as Skoglund.

David Walker, another representative bowler, also failed to qualify, while Terry Johnson, also touted to play a leading role, fell first up to Horgan.

The latter followed good form at Levin, easily accounting for Johnson, though he did not have it all his own way against Lovie.

Those contesting the quarterfinals are Horgan v Ellery, Jason Moore (Te Kawau) v Barry Wynks (Takaro), Brian Looker (Terrace End) v Colin Lozell (Northern) and Scotty McGavin (Bulls) v Simms.

Also to be played at Terrace End will be the women's centre final between Fran Frith (Terrace End) and Kay Hammond (Northern). Frith edged out fellow rep Feona Sayles, 21-16, while Hammond beat Sue Way (Northern), 21-17.

In the quarterfinals, Way bt Ra Walker (Shannon), 21-17, Hammond bt Lyn Jensen (Johnston Park), 21-18, Frith bt Mere Fryer (Northern), 21-19, and Sayles beat Sharon Groves (Terrace End), 21-1.

The women's division two competition was won by Northern, which finished with a clean sweep to relegate Bulls to second and Foxton Beach to third.

The Northern club also won division two and three among the men.

The final of the men's open fours, between Lovie (Northern) and Trevor Butcher (Palmerston North), will also be played at Terrace End at the weekend.

- © Fairfax NZ News