Gisborne
Juniors Beverly Davy (skip), Kay Goldsbury, Kym Brown and Ginny Sherriff pulled off the shock result of the bowling week when they won the right to match their combined two centre titles against the Glenys Whiteman-skipped Kahutia combination’s 104 centre titles in the final of the Gisborne-East Coast women’s open fours championship at the weekend.
Along the way, the Gisborne four took some fancied scalps, including those of the highly regarded Sarah Brown-skipped Te Karaka four in the semifinals.
In the final, Gisborne led early, fell behind then fought back to go into the last end tied at 13-13 before finally losing to Whiteman 14-13.
Gisborne provided two of the four semifinalists in the women’s and men’s title races but it was a case of “close but no cigars” for the four combinations.
Carol Hawes (s), Anne Day, junior Adrienne Torrie and Lesley McIntosh were knocked out by Whiteman in one semi ahead of the Davy-Whiteman final.
In an all-Gisborne men’s semifinal, Steve Goldsbury (s), Jamey Ferris, Ricky Miller and Robin Jefferson fell agonisingly short of a finals berth when clubmates Bob McIlroy (s), July Hoepo, Kahu Kerekere and Mark Walker snatched a one-point win after an extra end.
McIlroy then lost to Kahutia’s Vern Marshall-led four in the final.
And it was second-best, too, for a Gisborne four in the consolation event played at Poverty Bay on Sunday, where Maurice Taylor, Thomas Terekia, Tim Sherriff and Dennis Raggett were runners-up.
The championships were played at Poverty Bay and Te Karaka clubs.
A junior is defined as a player with less than eight years of bowling experience.
Ernie Robinson Triples
With three wins and a huge points differential of 22, Bruce Ball (s), Bruce Gledhill and Lesley McIntosh won the Ernie Robinson Triples last week. It was the third win of the season for the in-form Gledhill.
Finishing second, Arthur Hawes (s), Dan Barr and Tony Barton had three wins and a differential of 18.
Maurice Taylor (s), Lorna Reeve and Poverty Bay’s Trish Leach were third with three wins and a differential of five.
What to do about Harry
A small but happy band of enthusiasts enjoyed the opening night of Corner to Corner on Friday. And it was fun. So much so that everyone opted for a second round of the light-hearted competition. Harry Jackson was the big winner of the night. Perhaps there is a handicap coming up . . .
Round 2 will be played this Friday, weather permitting.
Kahutia
Another lot of club championships have been completed for the season, with the singles being decided.
In the competition for men with one to three years of bowls experience, Frank McLaughlin went through unscathed.
But Norman Young made sure that if Frank was going to win, he would have to earn it.
In the division for men with up to eight years of bowls experience, Murray Duncan got through without losing a life.
In the last game he was too good for Marty Ryan, and won comfortably. Unfortunately for Marty, he struck someone who was only going one way on the day. Well deserved, Murray.
The open women’s competition was a different story.
On the first day, Glenys Whiteman kept both lives intact, winning all games without raising a sweat. Lucy Shanks and Dianne Oates had the opportunity to see how the more experienced play the game when their form is running hot.
Even Dayvinia Mills had no answer to Whiteman on the first day. Mills and Marie Wright had to do battle to have a chance at Whiteman on Day 2.
The early part of the game was neck and neck with no one making any headway, but in the second half Mills took her game up a notch to stay out of reach and not give Wright a chance to come back.
The next day was a turnaround. After being beaten 21-3 by Whiteman you’d have to wonder what you had to do. It wasn’t the fact that Mills played badly on the first day, it was the fact that Whiteman was in her element, and there lay the problem for Mills.
A “different” Mills turned up the next day, ready to do battle. Time and time again she changed heads around to leave Whiteman a little flustered. She wasn’t going to give up the title without at least proving she could foot it with the best of them in this centre.
Whiteman could only admire the performance, and congratulated Mills on taking both lives off her to claim the singles crown.
The open men completed their competition, with the others having played a qualifying day a fews week earlier.
Murray Murton edged out Jock Smith 21-20. Last season’s winner, Mick Maunder, met his match in third-year player Mike Howes, who shows signs of being one to watch in future.
Alastair Macpherson beat Mike Chisholm and young Leighton Shanks beat Gary Tocker.
In the semifinals, Macpherson defeated Murton and Shanks was too consistent for Howes.
The final started as expected, the players going toe to toe. At 5-3 to Macpherson, the spectators looked forward to a close affair, but Shanks had other plans.
The class of Shanks shone through, and he proved too steady for his opponent, winning 21-9.
Through qualifying and playoffs the best anyone could do was get 10 shots off Shanks. He was certainly in another league and earned the right to be called champ.
Five new singles champs have been crowned to represent the club next year. Well done to you all. — Blocker