Anderson bowled out

Clayton Rogers (left) of Inverell and Richard Latta of Ballina competing against each other yesterday at the Summerland Pairs. Neither made it past sectional play.

Jay Cronan

NSW Bowler of the Year Michael Anderson was a surprise casualty on the opening day of the Summerland Pairs at the Ballina Bowling Club.

Playing with young East Lismore bowler Jakeb Speers (East Lismore), Anderson (Ballina) lost in the last round in a section won by Iluka pair Alex Holland and Don Plummer.

Anderson is the Ballina greenkeeper and has been in red-hot form in competition all year.

Holland and Plummer went on to eliminate another Ballina pair, John Lang and youngster Aaron Teys, 18-12 in post-sectional play last night.

But there was one bright spot for the Ballina club.

Des Robinson and Ashley Blewer, who were included in the main draw only at the last minute following a withdrawal, won their section.

But they did more than that, qualifying for the quarter-finals tomorrow with a 16-9 post-sectional win over Neil Harding and Tony Cheli (East Lismore).

Others through to the quarter-finals with post-sectional wins last night are Luke Wade and Rick Barnes (Brunswick Heads), who defeated Phil Jordan and Ron Cooper (Paradise Point) 11-10, and Frank Vogal (Yamba) and Ian Taylor (Kingscliff), who defeated Clint Bailey and John Bailey (Tweed Heads) 14-9.

Taylor is a former Australian representative.

Apart from the elimination of Anderson, the biggest shock of the day was the exit in sectional play of the fancied Clay Parker (Raymond Terrace) and Clayton Rogers (Inverell).

The highlight of sectional play today will be the return to bowls of former Australian Commonwealth Games gold medallist and now ABC-TV bowls commentator Ian Schuback.

The tournament organiser, Ballina Bowling Club sports co-ordinator Tony Scott, said the weather yesterday had been perfect.

“We had one shower but that lasted only about two minutes,”he said.

The finals will be played tomorrow.