Val Smith facing shock bowls exit

Double world champion Val Smith faces double elimination in the national bowls championships after making a tardy start to the women's pairs component in Wellington yesterday.

A shock exit from the singles draw on Monday, Smith and partner Kay Hammond notched only one win from three matches yesterday, meaning they have to win all three games today to keep their title hopes alive.

In contrast, favourites Jan and Marina Khan were breezing into post-section play after completing a perfect three-from-three on the first day of competition.

The mother and daughter combination of Leigh Griffin and under-18 New Zealand representative Kirsten also showed solid form by reeling off three consecutive wins while current NZ Open pairs champion Jan Shirley and Raelene Peters were also unbeaten.

Smith was not the only New Zealand representative to experience difficulties on the damp greens. Karen Coombe and Hong Kong Classic singles winner Genevieve Baildon also dropped a match unexpectedly to Sandra Keith and Sandra Holdom from the Allenton club.

Meanwhile, the men's pairs field has been whittled down to 115 combinations after six rounds of qualifying.

Defending champions Rob Ashton and Ray Boffa remain unbeaten as do Australian based Canadian Ryan Bester and his partner Mike Carroll.

Australian based New Zealand international Andrew Todd secured his spot with pairs partner Ross Bell from Burnside after tallying five wins from six.

Double world champion Gary Lawson and patner Danny Delaney also eased through with a five-win, one-loss record.

Young duo Andrew Kelly and Nick Buttar also feature having gone through unscathed until they met their match in the form of Phillip Skoglund and 17-year-old Ryan Khan, who clinched a tight encounter 16-15 yesterday.

Auckland's Scott Cotterell and Sione Manuolevao also made the cut, as did the composite pairing of Redcliffs Robbie Reed and Blaketown's Ryan McTaggart.

Other strong contenders making it through to post section play include current North East Valley 10,000 champion Shaun Scott and partner Richard Corry.

Kelvin Scott and Richard Collett, Northern's duo of Phil Skoglund and Raymond Skoglund, Peter Belliss and Justin Goodwin plus former New Zealand representative Sean O'Neill and Barrie Andrews are also through.

The men's singles qualifying starts today.

- NZPA