Allen’s trio victorious

CENTRE WOMEN’S TRIPLES CHAMPIONs: Winners of the Judy Blair Cup for the centre women’s open triples are (from left) Dayvinia Mills, skip Ngamiro Allen and Karen Pinn. Picture supplied

Teams from Kahutia Bowling Club have now won the centre women's open triples four years in a row.

Ngamiro Allen (skip), Dayvinia Mills and Karen Pinn beat clubmates Glenys Whiteman (s), Lucy Shanks and Dianne Phillips 17-9 in the final last Sunday.

Kahutia does not often have more than one team in the centre women's open triples, so it was an impressive effort for both Kahutia teams to make the final.

In a final distinguished by some brilliant bowls, Allen's team led 16-9 after the 16th end.

On the 17th end, Allen's team held the shot and Whiteman was unable to change the situation. With Allen 17-9 ahead, the teams agreed the last end need not be played, and the players shook hands.

The win gave Allen, Mills and Pinn the centre women's open triples title and the Judy Blair Cup, with Whiteman, Shanks and Phillips runners-up.

In 2020 and 2021, Whiteman, Marie Wright and Paige Richter won the title. Whiteman, Wright and Allen won it last year.

Players enjoyed perfect weather and excellent greens at Te Karaka Bowling Club for the Judy Blair-sponsored tourney.

The competition was down in numbers this year, with 10 teams entered — four from Poverty Bay Bowling Club, two from Kahutia, two from Gisborne, one team from Te Karaka and one from Tolaga Bay.

The top eight teams qualified for post-section play on Sunday.

Jessie Davis-Law (s), Mere Nepia and Olivia Jade from Poverty Bay were the top qualifiers with three wins, for six points and a differential of plus-45.

Next were Allen (s), Mills and Pinn from Kahutia, with three wins, six points and a plus-24 differential; then Del Tamanui (s), Diane Murray and Erica Thompson from Te Karaka, with two wins, four points and a plus-27 differential; Whiteman (s), Shanks and Phillips from Kahutia, with two wins, four points and a minus-five differential; Jan Powell (s), Erin Sutherland and Diane Christie from Poverty Bay, with one win, a draw, three points and a minus-two differential; Tanya Harrison (s), Lesley Macintosh and Libby Clay from Gisborne, with one win, a draw, three points and a minus-nine differential; Carol Hawes (s), Ginny Sherriff and Joy McFarlane from Gisborne, with one win, two points and a minus-nine differential; and Kathryn Flaugere (s), Ngawai Turipa and Win Baker from Poverty Bay, with one win, two points and a minus-35 differential.

In the first round of post-section play, Davis-Law's team beat Flaugere's team 17-11, and Whiteman beat Powell 20-14.

Harrison's team were leading against Tamanui's team in the first round. Then on the 17th and 18th ends, Tamanui staged a big comeback, taking three or four shots an end to win 17-16.

Allen's team had a close game against Hawes's team. At times Hawes held a few shots, then Allen would move the jack and end up winning the end.

Allen led 15-14 after the 17th end. On the last end, Hawes held two shots — enough of a margin to win the game — but Allen moved the jack and took out the second shot, which made the score 15-all.

They had to play an extra end to determine the winner. Allen's team held two shots on the head and Hawes tried to take the shot but fell short, and Allen did not have to play her second bowl.

In the semifinal, Allen and her team played exceptionally well to beat Tamanui's team 16-8 and secure their place in the final.

Whiteman's team beat Davis-Law's team 12-11 in the other semifinal. On the last end, Davis-Law led 11-9 and held the shot. Whiteman's team had the second and third closest bowls to the jack, so with her bowl Whiteman moved the jack and took three shots to win the game 12-11 and reach the final.