BOWLS by Starweed
THE first of the Bowls Gisborne-East Coast centre titles — the open mixed pairs — will be contested this weekend.
Last season the tournament was played in Wairoa and only eight entries were received.
This year 22 pairs have entered, and some interesting combinations are included.
Last year’s winners, Charlie Ure and Dayvinia Mills, are playing with other club members.
Ure is with long-time campaigner and multiple centre title winner Queenie Takurua, while Mills will be paired with Robin Jefferson, who holds many titles.
This is the first year of a rule under which you can be paired only with a member of your own club unless you have fewer than 20 members of one gender.
In that case, you would be able to play with a member of another club with 20 or fewer members.
That is where this, to me, becomes a grey area. Example: Kahutia Bowling Club has less then 20 female members but plenty of males. I was told that because of this the women have to play with a male member of that club.
But if a male bowler from Te Karaka asked that female to play with him it would be allowed as they have less then 20. Who is to say who asked whom.
I believe the centre needs to open these centre tournaments up as that is what it states (centre open), not centre club open . . . that is what we have the champ of champs for.
Anyway, pairs will play four games of 2-4-2 with 12 ends or a two-hour time limit, whichever comes first. The top 16 will go through to Sunday.
Section 1 is top-heavy with a lot of favoured teams for the title.
Jamey Ferris/Tanya Harrison have a full-on day ahead of them, meeting July Williams/Sarah Brown, Boon McIlroy/Dianne Phillips and Robin Jefferson/Dayvinia Mills.
A few weeks ago, Ferris didn’t fare too well in the Gisborne club’s mixed pairs club champs. However, this concept is played differently, which could make a difference to the outcome.
Glenys Whiteman/Ray Young have a couple of toughies in McIlroy and Takurua/Ure.
Husband and wife duo Willy and Diane Murray also have a big day ahead of them with Williams, McIlroy, Jefferson and Takurua.
Section 2 isn’t as heavy as Section 1 and the favoured teams in this draw can be expected to qualify for Sunday.
In the third round, Gisborne club champs Steve Goldsbury/Lyn Trueman will play Arthur and Carol Hawes and junior husband and wife duo Geoff and Karen Pinn, who made the last four in the club champs.
They are brimming with confidence after their club result and will want to show their more experienced opponents how far they have progressed in their short time in the sport.
Others likely to qualify will be Marie Wright/George Vaotuua, Jeff and Joy Davis, and Ricky Miller/Karen Higgins.