Bellerby fours win to Mac and the family Pinn

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Adam McIlroy and Geoff Pinn, with Geoff’s sons Kyle and Liam, have won the Bellerby Cup at the Gisborne Bowling Club greens.

The cup is one of the club’s feature events each year. It is contested by teams of four comprising a skip, a three, a two and a lead.

A mad scramble for skips before this event often results in new players making their debuts as skips in the “big time”.

Sixteen teams containing players in their “prime” down to the two Pinn boys in their early teens played four games of graded fours with some interesting results.

The rain held off but the wind provided a good excuse for some of those who didn’t make it to the payouts. Those who did end up in the money were well rewarded.

Mark Nicol, Gisborne branch manager of sponsor Property Brokers, presented the prizes.

None of the teams had four wins, so the battle for first and second came down to the number of ends won over four games. One end was the difference between first and second, and also between third and fourth.

Winners McIlroy, and Geoff, Kyle and Liam Pinn had three wins and a draw, and won 27 ends.

Runners-up Boon McIlroy, Kay Goldsbury, Willy Murray and Gerry Kora had three wins and a draw, and 26 ends.

Third were Maurice Taylor, George Tamihana, Mike Donnelly and John Donnelly, with three wins and 24 ends.

Fourth were Andrew Ball, Hona Huriwai, Peter Ferris and Marty Hayes with three wins and 23 ends.