Back for the Burton

BURTON REVIVED: The Burton Cup Classic Fours played on Gisborne Bowling Club greens at the weekend revived competition for the most prestigious trophy in Gisborne bowls. The winners were (from left) Val Mathews, Steve Goldsbury, Bruno Lourie (skip) and Paige Richter. Picture by Paul Rickard

FIVE of last year's six prizewinners will be back when the district's premier bowling event, the Burton Cup Classic Fours, is played at the Gisborne Bowling Club this weekend.

Four of the five teams have had minor personnel tweaks, including the 2019 winners. Teenage revelation Paige Richter is unavailable and instead Dennis Gladding will join Bruno Lourie (skip), Steve Goldsbury and Val Mathews in defence of the magnificent trophy. They will be among the front-runners again.

Back, too, in their bid to go one better are last year's runners-up. This time, skip Jamey Ferris, Mick Maunder and Ashli Ferris will be joined by Tanya Harrison, who replaces her mum, Bobbie Beattie.

The Burton Cup was first played for 110 years ago, but the tournament had fallen out of favour with bowlers in recent years. That was until the Gisborne Bowling Club's introduction of the classic format successfully revived the contest last year. It attracted the attention of the sport's governing body and it is now recognised as an official Bowls New Zealand Summer of Bowls event.

With this recognition comes a national profile and some funding from Bowls New Zealand to help with tournament costs. That, along with some extra cash from major sponsor the Eastland Group, has helped boost this year's prize money to $3000, the biggest purse for a bowling tournament in the district.

In a further boost to the silverware, the club has unearthed the Makauri Cup, which was donated by the late David Mills, a former president of the Gisborne club, for presentation to the winners of the plate section of the event. From now on it will go to the tournament's runners-up.

The classic format, which sees all teams playing singles, pairs, triples and fours, was a big hit with bowlers last year and they have clambered to be back on board again this time around.

Priority was given to last year's skips when entries opened and all but two took up that offer.

Several teams have new personnel and almost a complete new look, others have a familiar look but a new bowler at the helm. New skips include Kathryn Flaugere, Betty Herring, Vern Marshall, Joe Wimitu and Paul Harrison.

Raiders from the Bay of Plenty are returning and so, too, are bowlers from Hawke's Bay and Thames Valley.

Third last year, Kawerau's Colin Dowie, Brian Dixon and the East Coast's Sharon Olsen are joined by Denis Dowie, while two couples, George and Anita Vaotuua and Steve and Cheryl Jenkins, are back, looking to improve on 2019's fourth place.

Arthur Hawes sneaked into sixth place last February and he's joined again by Mal Trowell and David Beattie, with Lyn Trueman replacing an injured Ginny Sherriff.

A notable new face this year is Vern Marshall, skipping Ben Ellington, Kay Goldsbury and Murray Duncan. Marshall replaces Mark Bain, who will umpire this weekend.