A couple of school kids have won through to post-section play at the Summerset National Fours in Central Otago, while one of New Zealand’s emerging talents has fallen short.

Liam Hill, 11, and Cooper Stumbles, 14, will play in the knock-out rounds tomorrow (Saturday, February 27) after their respective fours secured the required four wins in qualifying.

They both left it late in section play.

Hill, playing with grandfather Neville in a quartet skipped by Michael Solomon, beat Sanjhe Prasad 20-9 in the sixth and final round at Waipiata Bowling Club, while Stumbles, playing two in a four skipped by his dad Grant, progressed after overcoming Lou Newman 20-18 in their last game at tournament headquarters, Alexandra.

Blackjack Andrew Kelly and emerging squad member Ray Martin also had to win their final round games at Clyde to qualify for post-section play.

Kelly did so, beating Trevor Drake 15-11, but Martin exited the tournament after losing 22-12 to Darren Goodin.

Fellow up and comers Seamus Curtin and Aiden Takarua had no such problems, racing to four wins from as many attempts to seal a place in the knock-out rounds.

Curtin and Takarua skipped two of six men’s quartets who went unbeaten through section play, with defending champion Gary Lawson also a perfect five from five at Alexandra and Roxburgh.

Lawson’s Blackjack team-mate Mike Kernaghan secured his place in post-section play with a 23-10 win over Neil Buchanan in the fifth round at Alexandra RSA.

The fancied women’s combinations have all qualified for the knock-out rounds, headlined by defending champion Sandra Keith.

Keith’s four had to win all three of their games on the second day of section play at Roxburgh and did so, securing their progression with a 16-12 win over Lesley McLinden.

Five-time champion Mandy Boyd won all five of her qualifying games to finish as one of just three unbeaten women’s quartets.

Jo Edwards rattled off five straight wins after a first up defeat, while Wendy
Jensen, Sharon Sims and Dale Rayner also dropped just one game on their way to the knock-out rounds.

Post-section play will get underway at 8:30am tomorrow, with a women’s quarter-final to be livestreamed on Sky Sport Next at approximately 3:30pm.

The winners of the men’s and women’s fours will be found on Sunday afternoon.