Lawn Bowls: Whanganui men and women reps finish in top four at the Octagonal tournament in New Plymouth

Wanganui's Small Business Accounting and David Jones Motors men and women representative bowls squads finished in the top four of the annual octagonal tournament in New Plymouth.

Playing at the West End club at the weekend, the women did best with a third overall on 624 points and 18 wins behind winners Wellington on 725 points and 28 wins with Manawatu third on 657 points and 20.5 wins.

Lesley Bourke won two of A singles matches to finish 8th in her section, while Maria Klitscher won five to finish third in the B singles. Kirstin Stampa and Dianne Patterson also claimed five scalps to be runners-up in the A pairs, while Joan Raymond and Deborah Garside had just the one win in the B pairs to be 7th.

The fours - Reen Stratford, Pauline Pirere, Jill Rohloff and Ann Kendrick - proved they were in-form winning five of their seven matches to help the overall cause and end up second behind hosts Taranaki.

The men finished fourth with 655 points and 18.5 wins playing at the Paritutu club behind overall winners Wellington on 716 points and 24 victories with Taranaki (23.5 wins) and Manawatu (22 wins) second and third respectively.

Bruce Winterburn claimed five scalps to win the A singles grade, while Ian Porteus and Kevin Coombe did best of the other Wanganui men winning 4.5 of their seven matches to finish third in the B pairs section.

Ray Savage and Gavin Scrivener managed three victories for fourth in the A pairs, while Ray Park, Phil Corney, Tony McRae and Ray Wilson matched that in the fours and end the competition in fifth spot.

The Taranaki tournament proved a timely warm-up for this weekend's Ryman Healthcare Wanganui men and women's open triples championship this weekend.

Minor changes have been made to both the men and women's defending open triples champions.

Last year Marlene Foster, Judy Johnson and Ann Morgan from the Wanganui East Bowling Club won the women's title and this year Anne Loveridge will replace Morgan.

Sean Johnson, Keith Slight and Kevin Coombe from the Aramoho Bowling Club are the men's defending champions, but a family wedding has forced Coombe out of contention. He is replaced by Bowls Wanganui chairman Ray Wilson.