N.Z.’s Ivan Botica shocks world champion

Press, 8 March 1989, Page 72

N.Z.’s Ivan Botica shocks world champion

NZPA Preston The Mount Albert bowler, Ivan Botica, scored a stunning firstround win over the favourite, David Bryant, of England, in the Embassy world indoor singles championship at Preston yesterday. Botica, two sets down and just one shot away from defeat, came back magnificently to win 1-7, 1-7, 7-6, 7-2, 7-6. Using a set of bowls borrowed from fellow-New Zealander Rowan Brassey and playing in his first international tournament, Botica lost the first set in just three ends

to the reigning world outdoor singles chamnion. After another thumping in the second set, the 53-year-old painter began to come right while Bryant lost his line. Botica pulled out a 4-1 lead in the third when Bryant hit back with a double and a treble to go 64 ahead, needing just one shot to take the match. But the New Zealander had other ideas, drawing level with a double in the next end and then snatching the set 7-6 with a single to stay in with a chance. His prospects improved rapidly

in the next set, which he won comfortably 7-2 to force a decider.

In the final set, Botica went 4-3 up but was rocked by a fighting triple from three-times indoor title holder Bryant that put him one shot away from victory once more. Botica again kept his cool and pulled out a remarkable shot. Drawing his bowl to within two inches of the jack to beat Bryant’s two well-placed bowls, he closed the gap to 5-6 and took control of the jack.

In the final end, Botica kept up the pressure by drawing another two accurate bowls, one in front of

the jack rnd the other just behind. Bryant missed with a last-bowl drive and the match was Botica’s. On Monday, Botica had nearly pulled off a similar fight-back in the doubles with 19-year-old doubles partner Mark McMahon of Hong Kong. Fighting back from a 2-0 deficit, they lost the decider 4-7 to the joint favourites, David Corkill, and Jim Baker, of Belfast. After yesterday’s matcn, Botica said the result was the high spot of his bowling life. “I’ve always regarded David Bryant as the king of bowls,” he said. “I’d met him several times in

New Zealand, but I’d never played him until today.” Bryant said he knew Botica was a good bowler. “He certainly proved it today. He showed great guts to come back from 2-0 down and when the crunch came he produced some killing bowls,” he said. Botica now plays the 22-year-old Edinburgh postman, Richard Corsie, who knocked out Rowan Brassey in the first round. Brassey’s bowls worked their magic again for their rightful owner later in the day when he and his world outdoor pairs gold

medal partner, Peter Bellis, swept through to the quarter-finals. They gunned down Australian indoor champion Dennis “Silver Fox” Dalton and Bill Kidd in straight sets 8-6, 7-6, 10-4. Brassey, aged 33, used the heavyweight bowls to deadly effect in his duel with Kidd. Beiliss said: “Rowan out-bowled Bill Kidd and it was a question of how often Dalton could get them out of trouble. “Thankfully he didn’t succeed enough to beat us. “Rowan played so well that I didn’t have too much to do,” said Beiliss.