JAN Powell and Robin Jefferson won Poverty Bay Bowling Club’s 2x4x2 mixed pairs tournament on Saturday.
The format for the Sunshine Brewery-sponsored event was for each team to have four games of either 10 ends or 90 minutes.
A late no-show by one team meant byes had to be introduced into the draw.
This was a pity because the entry sheet had been oversubscribed, and organisers had had to turn teams away.
Powell and Jefferson won the tournament with four wins and 27 ends won. Their final game was a bye, but they won the three games played convincingly.
Mark Bain and Diane Christie proved to be their toughest adversaries.
Dayvinia Mills and Charlie Ure, also with four wins but only 20 ends won, were runners-up.
Four pairs were undefeated after three games. With Powell and Jefferson sitting out Game 4, all eyes were on Joy and Jeff Davis’s match against Bain and Christie, and the crunch game of Dayvinia Mills and Charlie Ure versus Erin Sutherland and Mike Travers, who had three wins each.
Davis and Davis succumbed to the strong challenge of Christie and Bain to finish the day on three wins and 26 ends won, with a differential of 26 for third place.
In their match, Sutherland and Travers were 6-2 up after six ends and looking in control.
Mills and Ure rallied over the next two ends to tie the score, 6-6.
Sutherland and Travers regained the lead on the ninth end, going into the final end 7-6 up. Mills and Ure quickly drew four shots. Their opponents gave it their all but were unable to reduce the count, losing the game 10-7.
Sutherland and Travers finished the day in fourth place on three wins and 26 ends won, with a differential of 19.
Ron Seabrook and Ngawai Turipa also achieved three wins and finished the day in fifth place.
It was a great day of bowls, with warm, sunny weather, although a changeable, strong wind made things difficult for most competitors.
Mike Travers thanked members and visitors for supporting the tournament.
Charlie Ure responded for visitors and thanked the club for a great day and a warm welcome.
Upcoming events — Saturday and Sunday, October 28 and 29: open pairs club championship.Saturday and Sunday, November 4 and 5: Rahiwi Cup, women’s open fours, centre event at Poverty Bay Bowling Club.
Kahutia
The open men’s singles got under way on Sunday with an entry of 24 players, nine of them being juniors. Trying their hand against the more experienced players, they didn’t disappoint.
Standouts were Leighton Shanks, who won his section, going through the day unbeaten. Not showing any signs of nerves, he comfortably beat Harry Green and passed singles winner Murray Murton 21-9.
Mike Howes also came through in his section, but only on differential after another junior, Don Oates, took the game to him, winning 21-16.
Other junior standouts were Marty Ryan and Joe Wimutu, who could have gone through with an ounce of luck.
Alastair Macpherson won his section on differential, after Charlie Ure beat George Vaotuua in the last round of the day.
Last season’s winner, Mick Maunder, also had to battle hard to win against Murray Owen, 21-20. Others to progress were Gary Tocker (3 wins), Mike Chisholm (3 wins), Murray Murton and Jock Smith.
Special thanks to Dianne Oates, who baked scones and a wonderful quiche for everyone.Thoughtful acts such as that make you proud to be part of the club.
Last, but not least, thanks to our markers, who made the job easy for everyone else. Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to help us out.
— Blocker
Gisborne
A howling nor’westerly didn’t deter the 48 bowlers who braved the difficult conditions and created a vibrant atmosphere for the Ryman-sponsored Reg Cook Open Triples at the Gisborne Bowling Club last Wednesday.
Bowlers from the three city clubs supported the event and shared in the spoils.
Four teams had three wins out of a possible four but it was Gisborne’s Jamey Ferris (skip), Bruce Gledhill and Reg Hart who mastered the wind best and were runaway winners with a differential of plus 36.
It was Gledhill’s second success of the season after his impressive win in the club’s handicap singles last month.
Bruce Easton (skip), Tim Sherriff, both Gisborne, and Poverty Bay’s Richard Jones we’re second with a plus-18 differential.
The race for third and fourth was tight and had to be decided on ends won after two teams finished with a differential of 16.
Kahutia’s Ray Taylor edged out Gisborne’s Gus McCabe after winning 22 ends to McCabe’s 20.
Taylor was ably supported by Poverty Bay’s Joy Davis and Gisborne’s Jennie Evans while clubmate Dan Barr and Kahutia’s Allan Parker were the front end for McCabe.
Championships
Four titles will be on the line this weekend in the club’s pairs championships. Entries are looking very healthy at this stage for the open men’s event but not so good yet for the open women and the two championships for bowlers with less than eight years’ experience. Entries close at 4pm on Thursday.
Jack Clark Triples
It was reported last week that the Jack Clark Open Triples tournament was going to be rescheduled to avoid a clash with a regional chartered clubs’ event. It’s not. The event will be held, as planned, next Wednesday, October 25. The chartered clubs’ event has been cancelled.
Corner to Corner
The club’s bold new initiative, Corner to Corner, kicks off this Friday at its Rawiri Street venue. The twilight event will be a fun family affair and open to bowlers and non-bowlers alike. Anyone can join in, no skill required, just a little bit of luck.
Jack Attack, a fun game devised in Australia to introduce children to bowls, will keep the kids happy and a sausage sizzle will keep the hunger pangs at bay.
Everyone is invited to join in the fun. First bowl a 5.15pm. Just roll up and put your name down.