THREE-PEAT FOR WALKER AND GIRDLER

The Dunedin pair of Ken Walker and Paul Girdler won through the national play-offs of the New Zealand Professional Bowls Association for the third successive year at the Frankton Railway Bowling Club in Hamilton to once again represent the NZ body at the World Indoor Pairs in Norfolk, England next January. The pair are now undefeated in twenty matches over a three year period in this country, but the wins in Saturday's semifinal and final didn't come easy.

The defending champs found themselves 6-3 down after seven of the nine ends in the first set of the semifinal against the Wellington pair of Kevin Rice and Ross Thorn. But a single and a pair of shots on the last two ends tied the first set in the best of two set match. If a third shot hadn't have fallen out before the measure took place, the southerners could have even pulled clear in the final end. The second set was also close at 4-2 to the Dunedin pair after six ends, but all-drawn threes on the seventh and eighth ends settled matters without needing to play the final end of the second set, for a final score of 6-6, 10-2.

The second semifinal was not so close with the Pukekohe venue winners Richard Collett and Justin Goodwin proving far too strong for the local hopes Brian Cathro and Frances Knight, winning 12-1, 12-4. The home crowd had to be content with watching the precision draw play of the visitors from over the Bombay hills.

The final was almost a repeat of the semifinal for the defending champs as they clawed back from behind over the second half of the first set to snatch the advantage of Goodwin and Collett. The northern pair were leading 5-2 after 5 ends, but once again, Walker and Girdler were able to come up with successive threes to overhaul their challengers 8-5 with two ends to play. Two singles on the last two ends of the set were not enough for the Pukekohe champs going down in the first set 8-7. The second set was not so close however, where Walker's experience told against Collett in the battle of the skips as the southern pair prevailed 10-3.

This caps a good season for Walker who was also crowned the new NZ number one replacing Jamie Hill, and gives him a second trip to the UK as he will also compete in the International Open Singles in Sussex, England in November.

Play continues Saturday afternoon and Sunday at the Frankton Railway Bowling Club in Hamilton with the $2500 Rhind and Gardiner House of Travel PBA pairs to wrap up the NZ Professional Bowls season. A pre-nationals PBA pairs event will be held on the afternoon of 1st January 2009 at the Henderson club in Auckland immediately prior to the outdoor NZ bowls championships.

Results:

NZ Professional Bowls Association World Indoor Pairs national playoffs in Hamilton:

Semifinals: Justin Goodwin (NSW) and Richard Collett (North Harbour) bt Frances Knight and Brian Cathro (Waikato) 12-1, 12-4; Paul Girdler and Ken Walker (Dunedin) bt Ross Thorn and Kevin Rice (Wellington) 6-6, 10-2.

Final: Walker bt Collett 8-7, 10-3.

Paul Girdler and Ken Walker (Dunedin) will represent the NZ PBA at the World Indoor Pairs in Norfolk, England in January.