Bowls: Setback for Allcock and Ottaway

TONY ALLCOCK and John Ottaway suffered an unexpected setback in their quest for the Woolwich world pairs bowls championship when their winning run was ended at Worthing yesterday. The English partnership lost 24-17 to South Africa's Bill Moseley and Neil Burkett.

The South Africans, playing in the championships for the first time since 1976, when they swept the board in all four events, had won just three of six matches in their section before meeting the England pair. However, they ran into form at the right time, racing to an 11-1 lead after nine ends.

With 16 ends completed they led 17-9, but Ottaway and Allcock seized a lifeline with a count of six on the next end. The South Africans countered with a double on the next end, followed with a three to lead 22-15 with two to play, and when the sides traded doubles on the next two ends, Allcock and Ottaway's run was over. They had less trouble earlier in the day, however, when they cruised to a straightforward 29-4 win over Norfolk Island's Rod Karl and Barry Wilson.

Scotland's Richard Corsie and Alex Marshall moved to the top of their pairs section when they collected their seventh straight win, crushing a Japanese pair 48-3.

In the triples, Roy Cutts, Andy Thomson and John Bell gained a 31-6 win over a trio from Thailand to remain unbeaten after seven matches. Earlier they had beaten a Japanese trio 36-9.

(Photograph omitted)