Honours to Todd in singles thriller

How do you stop a steam train?

That was the thought occupying the mind of Andrew Todd on the final end of the men's national bowls singles.

The appropriately named Ken "Stalker" Walker (Fairfield) had risen from the dead, clawing back from 20-14 to 20-20 in front of 600 spectators at the Hutt Bowling Club yesterday.

Who said bowls was boring?

Todd (Burnside) had already been to the men's room to – among other things – take a few deep breaths, so this time he rolled the jack a bit harder and sought a longer end.

It proved a wise move, as he took three shots to give him his first singles title, 23-20.

His mum, Leonie, joked that she had a few more grey hairs after the thrilling finish to a game in which Walker generally outdrew his opponent only for Todd to kill them off.

Todd admitted that, when Walker picked up a four and a two to draw level at 20-20, he was starting to feel the pressure.

"It didn't feel like it [his heart] was going too quick, but my mouth was getting dry," he said.

"Hopefully this gets me in the Commonwealth Games team, this should cement that."

Todd, a current New Zealand representative, is based at the Cabramatta club in Sydney where Peter Belliss is king. Todd was playing in only his fourth nationals and this was his first singles title.

Walker, 63, was the 1987 singles champion, and expressed mixed feelings after the climatic finish.

"I'm chuffed I made a game of it but I didn't play the last end very well," he said.

"I won the singles 23 years ago at the Victoria club in Wellington so it would have been brilliant to emulate that, but it wasn't to be."

Walker had a chance to win on the penultimate end.

He was holding two shots and, with his final bowl, he could have made it 21-20 but it was narrowly astray.

Nevertheless, he left a fine impression. He enjoyed the occasion, at one stage pulling out his hanky to wave the white flag after Todd had killed off another shot. "I don't think I have drawn so many shots and not got them counted. Andrew was superb with the running shots – he was killing me."

The championships continue today with the men's and women's fours.

- © Fairfax NZ News