Te Karaka
Te Karaka Bowling Club members played their first competition of the 2017/18 season — the mixed pairs club championships — on Sunday, September 24.
Andy and Del Tamanui were the winners in a field of four pairs.
In the first round, both games ended in a draw after 18 ends. After extra ends, the Tamanui pair took the first round, and Arthur Baty and Janie Waititi took the other win.
In the second round, the Tamanui pair beat Baty and Waititi 28-12 after 16 ends.
Willie Murray and Michelle Brown defeated Lofty Hurrell and Dianne Murray 19-16.
Andy and Del Tamanaui, with two lives intact, played Willie Murray and Brown in the third round and after 18 ends defeated them 21-5.
Gisborne
Kay and Steve Goldsbury will defend their mixed pairs title when they meet Jamey Ferris and Tanya Harrison in the Gisborne club championship final.
A big field and mixed results prevented the conclusion of the event on Sunday.
The final will be played later in the season.
Ferris is a former titleholder and Harrison was a finalist last season with Maurice Taylor.
The 13-strong field that started play on Saturday was whittled down to five by Sunday afternoon in a topsy-turvy event in which several teams met twice and exchanged results under the two-life system.
Ginny and Tim Sherriff and David and Bobbie Beattie were the only teams to make it through to Day 2 with both lives intact. Then the fun started.
The Sherriffs lost 17-13 to the Goldsburys in an 18-end nail-biter and the Beatties lost 22-11 to Robin Jefferson and Beverly Davy in a reversal of their earlier clash.
Everyone left was now on their last life.
But in comparison with what had gone before, the semifinals were an anti-climax. The rain came down and poured cold water on the close contests.
The Sherriffs got a reality check, conceding to Ferris and Harrison after only 11 ends, down 21-1, and Jefferson and Davy made it to 15 ends against the Goldsburys before they, too, waved the white flag, down 23-11.
In a good sign for the club, three of the four women in the semifinals — Davy, Goldsbury and Sherriff — are juniors.
Last week’s Doug Neilson Triples open tournament was washed out only two ends into the second round. Entry fees will carry over into next week’s Reg Cook Triples, also an open event. The Neilson Triples will be rescheduled.
Poverty Bay
Kathryn Flaugere and Kim Walters won the Poverty Bay club championship junior women’s pairs at the weekend.
The format for games was 12 ends over 90 minutes, with no time limit for finals.
Two teams entered the women’s event, Flaugere and Walters beating Ngawai Turipa and Lyn Evans by only one shot in each of the two games played.
The lead changed frequently throughout both games and kept spectators spellbound until the last bowl.
In the men’s section, 2016 winners John Fricker and Mike Travers successfully defended their title.
Their consistent drawing overcame the challenge from Dave Hooper and young Jareth Gaskin, but only by two shots in both of their encounters. The scores were 9-7 and then 10-8 in the final.
The last end of the final was a cliff-hanger. At 10-7 it could have been all over as Fricker held one shot.
Hooper’s second bowl picked up the jack, taking it to three of his back bowls. He was now holding four shots.
Fricker’s second bowl was of no consequence.
Hooper then added another to hold a potentially game-winning five shots. The pressure was now on for Fricker to get into Hooper’s back formation. To his relief, he placed his last bowl with precision to cut the margin to one shot and thereby retain the title 10-8.
It was a fine game to watch and onlookers could well have wished for a third, deciding game to enjoy.
Earlier rounds were just as keenly contested, with youngsters Ricky Peipi and Luke Sanders providing stiff opposition.
The pairings of Chris Valentine and Colin Evans and Tam Buckingham and Dawson Owen also pushed their opponents to the limit before bowing out.
The championships provided an encouraging insight into the club’s developing talent.
Upcoming events — Saturday, October 14: The Sunshine Breweries-sponsored open mixed pairs 2x4x2 tournament.
Sunday, October 15: The inter-club Peck Shield and Yelverton Shield competitions at the Gisborne Bowling Club.
Kahutia
Lawn bowls is certainly showing signs of the times when the fours club championships draw entries from two women’s teams, two teams from the junior men’s ranks and three from the open men.
It seems most just want an afternoon’s play, not a weekend or even a day.
I am old school. I joined this sport to play, no matter whether it’s a weekend or a week.
I love this game and am saddened to see the way it is going. People think it is an old persons’ sport but that couldn’t be more wrong; maybe once, but not any more.
What I like about it is that everyone is on a level playing field, whether you are nine or 95, policeman, lawyer, accountant, fieldworker or beneficiary. We are all equal.
I implore people to give it a go before casting judgement. It might just be for you.
Clubs help with the necessary equipment so it is not a buy-before-you-try scenario.
On Saturday, two open women’s teams took the greens in a two-life format for the club fours championships.
There wasn’t much in either game but Glenys Whiteman, Francie Adair, Dayvinia Mills and junior Lucy Shanks came through unscathed, winning both games by only three points. Their opponents were Anita Vaotuua, junior Dianne Oates, Ann Bates and skip Lyn Trueman.
The junior men also had two entries. Marty Ryan put a team together to give a bit of competition and they certainly did that.
With the teams tied after the 15 scheduled ends, an extra end was needed.
Debutant Bruce Elliott delivered the winning bowl, which came to rest inches from the white.
The second game was as much a battle, with Joe Wimutu’s team getting home in the end.
The final was anyone’s, but the team of Ray Young, Frank McLoughlin, Alan Parker and skip Wimutu prevailed.
The open men’s championship became an interesting competition, with Murray Murton’s team having the edge over Mick Maunder’s four, while Ray Taylor’s team had the bye.
In Round 2, Maunder got home over Taylor, and Murton had the bye.
In the third round, Taylor edged home against Murton, while Maunder had the bye.
In Round 4, Murton’s team were once again too strong for Maunder, which meant Murton played Taylor in the final.
Murton got off to a quick start, scoring a five on the second end.
However, Taylor’s troops rallied and, going into the final end, they had a four-shot advantage.
This turned out to be one of those fish stories we all hear. We were also sure the lady was singing, but not so Murton’s team, who claimed a five on the final end to leave Taylor’s team dumbfounded.
Congratulations to Harry Green, Charlie Ure, Ropata Ruwhiu (first club championship) and Murray Murton, who had the never-give-up attitude.
Hard luck, Ray! All I can say is, “Oh Dear”.
— Blocker