Jason Trowill won his first centre title, and brothers Dylan and Matthew Foster won their 24th and 21st respectively, when the Poverty Bay-East Coast Indoor Bowls Centre held the closing triples to end the season.
They beat Jay, Jaykwan and Quaylahn Casey 9-7 in a final of fluctuating fortunes.
MatthewFoster’s team were 6-0 up after two ends, but Jay Casey’s team struck back in the next three ends to level the score at 6-6.
After the eighth end, the Caseys were one behind at 8-7. They just missed gaining the shot on the last end, which gave Foster’s team a 9-7 win.
Trowill, in his first year of indoor bowls, thrived in the competitive environment. He went from strength to strength during the day with some great draw bowls on crucial ends.
Gibb’s team were 4-1 up after four ends, but in the fifth end Foster’s team picked up five points to lead 6-4.
Gibb’s team fought back to level the game at 6-6 after seven ends, but some short bowls by Gibb’s team proved costly, and Foster’s team finished strongly to win 11-6.
In the semifinal, Foster’s team met last year’s winners, David Lynn (skip), Bryan Pulley and Sean Haskins, while the Caseys played Leighton Shanks (s), Keith Hayes and Liz Hayes.
Under-18 Player of the Year for the Poverty Bay-East Coast Indoor Bowls Centre is Adam Rickard.
The Caseys proved too strong for the Shanks team, winning 18-0. However, kudos to Keith and Liz Hayes who, in their first year of indoor bowls competition, reached the semifinals against some strong opposition.
The other semifinal was close. Foster’s team beat Lynn’s team 6-5.
Foster’s team again started slowly and were 5-0 down after four ends. They steadily closed the gap to level the game at 5-5 after eight ends, and managed to hold shot by a small margin in the final end.
Sophie Haskins (left) and Quaylahn Casey were jointly recognised at centre prizegiving as Poverty Bay-East Coast Indoor Bowls Centre's most improved players of the year.
At the prizegiving, winners of this year’s Poverty Bay-East Coast Indoor Bowls Centre competitions received certificates.
Special awards
Under-18 player of the year: Adam Rickard.
Most improved players of the year (joint winners): Sophie Haskins and Quaylahn Casey. This was a new trophy presented by the PBEC Indoor Bowls Centre committee.
The Phyl Diver Cup for Representative Player of the Year: Keith Setter. This was also a new trophy, presented to the centre by Marise Raklander in memory of her mother Phyl Diver, a former stalwart of PBEC indoor bowls.
Silver Star (for five centre titles): Wayne Morrell.
Gold Bar (for 35 gold star titles): David Lynn.
In other indoor bowls news, Matthew Foster, Dylan Foster and Kayla Trowell travelled to Hamilton for the Young Guns Under-30s event.
Matthew was runner-up in the singles competition, while Dylan teamed up with Presley Williams from Upper Hutt to place third-equal in the pairs competition.
Members of the Gisborne Senior Citizens Association held their annual Barry D Allen-sponsored triples with eight teams taking part.
Four teams finished with two wins from the three rounds played, the team of Andrew Rickard, Paul Salt and Delores Woodcock scoring the most points to win the event.
Senior bowlers have held several coaching sessions in the hope of encouraging more young players to take up the game. They have visited Gisborne Girls’ High School, Campion College, and schools in Tolaga Bay and Te Araroa.
Aspiring indoor bowlers of all ages are welcome to join the Cosmopolitan Club indoor bowlers on Tuesdays from 6.30pm to “give it a go”. The last club night for the year is October 21.
