A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
POVERTY Bay Bowling Club’s championship junior fours were held in delightful twilight conditions.
Two women’s teams had very close games which made it exciting for both players and spectators.
The winners were Anna Colvin (skip), Norma Miller (director), Joan Gledhill (2) and Win Baker (lead).
Games of 12 ends or one and three-quarter hours were played.
In the first round, Colvin’s team led the team of Diane Doyle (s), Krystal Williams (d), Kandyce Bevan (2) and Jude Hall (l) by 12-6 on the 10th end.
On the 11th end, Colvin’s team lost five shots so they led by just one shot going into the last end. Colvin’s team were down until the last bowl, but that bowl made all the difference and they won 13-11.
In the second round of the two-life system it was again close until Colvin’s team scored five shots on the 10th end. They lost the last two ends but still won 12-9.
The team of Andrew Ball (s), Otto Louw (d), Ashar McKnight (2) and Dusty Miller (l) won the men’s championship as the other team had to default.
The winners of the Poverty Bay men’s open fours were Steve Berezowski (s), Jon Davies (d), Mike Donnelly (2) and John Andrews (l).
The championship was held in hot conditions, which proved a challenge for the players. Berezowski’s team defeated the team of Lex Kennedy (s), Barrie Denham (d), Jeff Davis (2) and Jon Kora (l) 16-11 in the final.
Five teams entered the women’s open fours and after four games of one and three-quarter hours, three teams still had a life.
They were Betty Herring (s), Kathryn Flaugere (d), June Stichbury (2) and Jean Patterson (l); Joy Davis (s), Anita Vaotuua (d), Cheryl Jenkins (2) and Ngawai Turipa (l); and Dawne Abraham (s), Kathy Carroll (d), Lesley Holmes (2) and Kandyce Bevan (l).
This championship will be concluded in the new year as Sunday play was cancelled because of rain.
FIVE very competitive teams contested the Kahutia Bowling Club’s senior men’s fours tournament in perfect conditions.
The winners were Kevin Bright (skip), Gary Tocker, Murray Owen and former Old Boys rugby stalwart Kevin Barrett.
Runners-up were the never-say-die team of Steve Berezowski (skip), Andy Tamanui, Bruce Hall and Andrew Ball.
Consistently Ball drew bowls to within half a metre of the kitty.
Kahutia Bowling Club’s singles championship was held in perfect bowling conditions — cool in the morning with a light breeze, to sweltering afternoon heat with swirling winds.
Glenys Whiteman and Marie Wright had a close contest for the right to be crowned the women’s senior champion for 2021.
They played 26 ends in their first game, indicating just how evenly matched they were.
Wright was six down halfway through the game but came back to level the scores at 15-all on the 20th end.
Whiteman’s driving game proved to be the key to victory. Single points on each of the last six ends gave Whiteman a 21-15 win.
Their second game, a possible final, unfolded differently. Wright was in front for most of the first 18 ends.
But in the 19th end, Whiteman took the lead and never relinquished it. She won the game in 22 ends, 21-17, to win the women’s senior singles championship.
The men’s senior singles championship did not produce a result, but the seven games played over the weekend produced worthy finalists — Murray Murton and Alastair Macpherson. Time constraints meant the final was deferred to a later date.
The junior men’s championship final was contested by Allan Parker and Ray Young.
Their first game was a nail-biter. Young retained his lead throughout and eventually took the game 21-18.
The second game was more one-sided, Young proving too strong for Parker. Young led from the outset and powered his way to a 21-13 win to take the men’s junior single championship again.
Kahutia’s junior women’s singles champion for 2021 is first-year player JayKayaar Wimutu-Muir, who unfortunately had no challengers.
Throughout the year she has progressed well, and at 15 years of age looks to be a player for the future.
Bowlers, markers and spectators enjoyed the weekend, and a big thank-you goes to centre umpire Noel Dunn.