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Gary Lawson - Source: Photosport
Bowls national championship finalists have been found across the
men's singles, women's singles, men's pairs and women's pairs with
all finals to take place on Monday.
The women's singles will be an all Canterbury final with Jan Shirley from the Canterbury Bowling Club taking on Beckenham's NZ Open singles runner-up Jan Khan.
The men's pairs finalists were found on Friday with double world champion Gary Lawson and partner Danny Delany lining up against former New Zealand representative Sean O'Neill and partner Lance Pascoe in the final after both having comfortable semi-final victories.
The men's singles semi-finals hosted a match of class presented by Fairfield's Ken Walker and Putaruru's Kevin B Robinson with Walker running out on top 21-14.
Walker has won the national singles before in 1987 and will be looking to complete a double for his third national dominion title.
Walker will play Australian-based Black Jack Andrew Todd in Christchurch after Todd fought back from a 10-2 deficit to win the game 21-15 against Northern's Phillip Skoglund.
Todd won the NZ Open singles in 2007 and should prove to be a good match up for Walker in Monday's final.
Earlier Skoglund slashed the hopes of a back to back title for defending champion Richard Collett.
Collett said despite his exit he is still more than happy with his placing and will now await the Commonwealth Games team selection.
"I'm not disheartened by today's loss, I just played poorly and Skog played really well, so full credit to him," Collett said.
The women's pairs final will be between Omanu's Bev White and New Lynn's Reen Stratford with White easing past Wanganui's New Zealand representative Karen Coombe and international team mate Genevieve Baildon 17-12.
The other semi-final was far closer with Stratford trailing 17-16 going in to the last end and picking up a two to secure a spot in the semi-final and end Wilton's Helen King's chances of the national pairs title with lead Clare McCaul.