KAREN PINN
Gisborne Bowling Club members have found their club singles champions in a weekend of competition.
Games lasted until one player scored 21 or play reached the time limit of two hours. The tournament was played under the two-life system, which meant players were not eliminated until they had lost twice.
In the men's competitions, Malcolm Trowell won the senior title, Geoff Pinn the title for those with up to eight years of bowls experience, and Chris Bunyan the title for those with up to three years of bowls experience.
Carol Hawes won the senior women's singles title, and Karen Pinn won the title for women with up to eight years of bowls experience.
The senior men's championship was contested by nine players — Shaun Goldsbury, Hona Huriwai, Mike Harris, Paul Everett, Tim Sherriff, Boon McIlroy, Charlie Ure, Rod Young and Malcolm Trowell.
Still in the competition after three rounds were Goldsbury and Everett, both with two lives, and Ure and Trowell, with one life.
Goldsbury could not play on the Sunday for health reasons. After a redraw, Everett beat Ure then faced Trowell in a potential final.
Trowell beat Everett twice, 21-5 and 21-11, to win the club's senior men's singles title.
In the men's competition for those with up to eight years of bowls experience, Geoff Pinn beat Peter Clay 21-4.
Clay and then Pinn defeated George Stanley, eliminating him from the competition.
Pinn and Clay, both fifth-year bowlers, produced some outstanding play in a tight potential final that Pinn eventually won 21-18.
The victory gave Pinn the title with his two lives intact.
In the competition for men with up to three years of bowls experience, third-year bowlers and good mates Peter Ferris and Chris Bunyan had a great first-round game that Bunyan won 21-17.
Bunyan and then Ferris beat second-year bowler Kevin Findson, ending his tournament.
In the potential final, Ferris led early but Bunyan fought back to win the game 21-17.
For Bunyan, with both lives intact, it was his first club singles championship.
The senior women's competition produced some keenly contested play.
Ginny Sherriff and Dianne Phillips were neck and neck in their scoring until Sherriff went ahead and was then overtaken by Phillips in a tight finish, 21-19.
Meanwhile, Carol Hawes was beating Donna Smith 21-13.
Smith then had a big win against Sherriff, which eliminated the latter from the tournament.
Hawes beat Phillips, who then lost to Smith.
With Phillips also out of the competition, Hawes and Smith contested the potential final.
Two-lifer Hawes lost heavily to Smith, which left both with one life.
In the decider, Hawes beat Smith 21-14 to win the club's senior women's singles title.
Fourth-year bowler Karen Pinn had a good start to the competition for women with up to eight years of bowls experience.
She beat fifth-year bowler Nanette Treloar 21-12.
Meanwhile, Joanne Campbell-Dyer, who joined the club this season as a fourth-year bowler after moving to Gisborne from Melbourne, beat Joy McFarlane.
Campbell-Dyer then faced Pinn in a second-round game that Pinn won 21-3.
On the other green, Treloar beat McFarlane, which eliminated the latter from the tournament.
One-lifer Treloar then beat Campbell-Dyer to qualify for a potential final against two-lifer Pinn on the Sunday.
Pinn built up a 19-14 lead and had chances to finish it, but Treloar fought back to level the scores at 19-all and then go ahead, 20-19.
On the last end, Pinn held three shots. Treloar's attempt to negate that advantage failed, and Pinn elected not to deliver her last bowl. Pinn's 21-20 victory gave her the title, with her two lives intact.