Around the Greens

INAUGURAL WINNERS: Eric Craill (right) presented the Eric Craill Shield to the inaugural winners of the tournament. They are (from left) Larry Kaloukava, Geoff Pinn and skip Bruce Gledhill.Picture by Norma Miller

The inaugural tournament for the Eric Craill Shield was held on a beautiful autumn Queens Birthday Saturday, at the Poverty Bay Bowling Club. The greens were full, with 48 players competing.

The format was a modified Bowls3Five, the format for lawn bowls used in the Bowls NZ televised league.

Teams of three had three bowls each and played three games of 90 minutes. Each game was played over two sets, each set consisting of five ends if time allowed. If sets were drawn after two sets, a one-bowl-per-player tiebreaker was played. Several of these were required.

The team of Bruce Gledhill (skip), Geoff Pinn and Larry Kaloukava were first, with three wins and 20 ends.

Runners-up were Lesley Seymour (skip), Norma Miller and John Leahy, with three wins and 18 ends.

Five teams had two wins but third place went to the team of Joe Wimutu (skip), Andrew Ball and Joan Gledhill, who won 18 ends, just one more end than the fourth-placed team.

Eric Craill sponsored the tournament and presented prizes and the Eric Craill Shield to the winning team. Craill is a spritely 91-year-old who helps mark out the greens at Poverty Bay. He also competed in the tournament.