Dylan Foster wins Poverty Bay-East Coast open singles for 25th centre title

Marise Raklander (runner-up) and Dylan Foster (winner) after the final of the Poverty Bay-East Coast Indoor Bowls open singles final.

Dylan Foster won the Poverty Bay-East Coast Indoor Bowls open singles by one shot last weekend.

Runner-up Marise Raklander had forced an extra end by “killing the kitty” with her last bowl when Foster was holding three shots on the ninth end. They had been tied at 6-6 after the eighth.

The price Raklander had to pay for killing the kitty was two shots ... she needed three on the extra end to win.

She managed only one and Foster won the final 8-7. It was his 25th centre title, a massive achievement for a 20-year-old.

Twelve bowlers took part in the tournament, held at the Waerenga-a-Hika Hall. After four preliminary rounds, five players qualified for the knockout phase.

David Lynn, Foster and Sean Haskins drew quarter-final byes, leaving Raklander to play Bruce Gledhill.

In his first season in singles competition, Gledhill played some outstanding bowls in the preliminary rounds, but Raklander’s experience shone through in a 15-3 win.

In the semi-finals, Foster beat Haskins 10-4, while Raklander and Lynn had a closely contested match. The score was tied 6-6 after eight ends and the game was decided on a measure for shot on the last end. It went Raklander’s way by the narrowest of margins for a 7-6 win and a place in the final.

The first representative fixture of the season is taking place over the weekend, with Poverty Bay-East Coast taking on Hawke’s Bay in Napier for the Presidents’ Trophy.

PBEC team: David Lynn, Mike Foster, Doc Tipene, Royden Owen, Warren Gibb, Marise Raklander, Lois Lamont, Karyn Foster, Dylan Foster, Sean Haskins, Jaykwan Casey, Sophie Haskins, Keith Setter, Pauline Stone, Zoe Trowell, Nanette Treloar, Tina Smith (reserve), Coralie Campbell-Whitehead (manager).