Mixed Pairs Quarterfinal Battles Loom At Summerset Bowls Nationals

There are some looming battles as over 270 teams were whittled down to eight combinations at the Summerset National Mixed Pairs Championship in Christchurch.

There is a quarterfinal heavyweight contest with local Canterbury pair of Lance Pascoe and Mandy Boyd, from the Elmwood Park club, take on Nelson’s Ali Forsyth and Dale Rayner.

Pascoe and partner Boyd are national title winners, while Forsyth is a current Blackjack and Rayner (Johnsonville) skipped the winning national fours team last year.

Pascoe and Boyd accounted for Paul Matheson and Tania Woodham in the round of 16, winning 14-11 while Forsyth and Rayner were made to work to take out Olivia Mancer and Taylor Horn 16-12.

The Stokes Valley mixed pairs winners, Jordan Keene and Charvarna Williams had a tight battle to beat Paul and Isabelle Hassall 11-6, while their opponents in the quarterfinals, Sean Quinn and Te Awamutu’s Lynda Bennett saw off Northland’s Ann Muir and Paul Price 15-9.

Well respected Christchurch bowlers, Rodney Hooper and Jude Main will take on Auckland’s Rob Ashton and Linda Ralph. Hooper and Main had to work hard to edge out Sam Tolchard and Sarah Scott 11-8 after leading 8-3, while Ashton and Ralph were too strong for Kelvin and Debbie Jackson from Arrowtown 16-6.

The final match-up in the quarterfinals will pit the 2024 emerging player of the year, Kaylin Huwyler and Blackjack Briar Atkinson against respected Bay of Plenty pairing of Dan Dickison and Sue Hodges.

Huwyler and Atkinson were impressive in accounting for Craig Merrilees and Clare Hendra 23-7, while Dickison and Hodges beat off the challenge from Otago’s Ruth Williams and Adam Yaxley 16-8.

The final three rounds through to the final will be played at the Fendalton Bowling Club with free entry, bringing to the close two outstanding weeks of national championship action in Christchurch.

Bowls New Zealand will broadcast play live on Sky Sport 2 and the Bowls New Zealand YouTube channel.

Details: www.bowlsnewzealand.co.nz.

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