Deep down among the also rans

IT WAS another bad day for the Guerns at the bowls' office which is the women's world outdoor championships at Royal Leamington Spa. The Sarnians lost all their matches. Jacqui Nicolle's 21-8 defeat at the hands of Lebo Moroke from Botswana left her with only one win to her credit in her group round-robin and consigned her to seventh place, behind Japan's Junko Tahara.

She will now do battle along with Namibia's Elaine Krahenbuhl, Maureen Payne from the Isle of Man and India's Renu Mohta to sort out who places where between positions 25 and 28.

The Guernsey quartet, who spent six hours on the green, did well against New Zealand, losing by only three shots, but were surprisingly outplayed by Hong Kong, who returned a 20-9 scorecard after lunch.

Jean Simon, Gwen de la Mare, Eunice Trebert and Anne Simon can be proud of their efforts against the Kiwis, who took an 8-0 lead after four ends and powered into a 19-8 advantage with only five ends left to play.

Three successive singles, followed by a treble and a double meant that Guernsey dominated the run-in, and they must have wished that the sport's governing body had not reduced the ends for fours from 21 to 18.

History seemed to be repeating itself in the afternoon session when Hong Kong, skipped by Elizabeth Li, opened up a 9-0 lead after four ends, but this time there was no significant response from the Channel Islanders, though they did scored six shots in four ends mid-game.

That defeat left the Guernsey quartet in sixth place in their group, just ahead of Japan, and they will have to settle for a finishing place somewhere between 21st and 24th overall.

The quarter-finalists in the singles include representatives of the four home countries, plus South Africa, Australia, Israel and the Philippines.

In the fours, Jersey came through their group with a 100% record and will seek revenge over the New Zealanders tomorrow, while England, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, Zambia and the Philippines complete the quarter-final line-up.