GEC part with trophy

The Bowls Gisborne-East Coast representative team travelled to Hawke’s Bay to defend the challenge trophy they won last year. Although the women won their games 11-6, with one game drawn, the men lost theirs 12-3, with three games drawn, and the trophy stayed in Hawke’s Bay. The Gisborne-East Coast team members are, back (from left): Steve Goldsbury, Malcolm Trowell, Mark Walker, July Hoepo, Gerry Kora, Shaun Goldsbury, Ben Elkington, Tim Sherriff (manager), Andrew Ball, Marcus Merrick, Steve Berezowski, Boon McIlroy (selector) and Mere Nepia. Front: Bobbie Beattie (selector), Jessie Davis-Law, Jasmine Merrick, Dayvinia Mills, Diane Murray, Katherine Flaugere, Lesley Seymour, Dianne Phillips, Carol Hawes and Anita Vaotuua. Absent: Glenda Kapene. Picture supplied

Gisborne-East Coast last weekend lost the bowls challenge trophy they won from Hawke’s Bay last year.

The GEC women beat Hawke’s Bay women 11 games to 6, with one game drawn.

Hawke’s Bay men comfortably beat their GEC counterparts 12-3, with three games drawn.

The challenge trophy is a representative fixture played between Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne-East Coast every year. Men’s and women’s results are combined to find the overall winners.

The fixture comprised four rounds of play, spread over two days. The first day was held on the grass greens at the Bowls Napier club. On the second day, poor weather resulted in the games being transferred to the carpet greens of the indoor complex at Bowls Hastings.

The GEC women’s team had experienced bowlers who performed above expectations and coped well with the change of greens on the second day.

They were particularly successful in the pairs, with seven wins and a draw from nine games. A pleasing feature of these wins was that they were achieved by team members playing in different combinations in each round.

In the women’s singles, GEC had three wins from four games, and one of the fours combinations also had a win.

In the men’s team, Shaun Goldsbury won both of his singles matches. One of them was against the experienced Paul Harrison. Goldsbury won this close and exciting game 25-24.

The triples combination of Steve Berezowski, Andrew Ball and Steve Goldsbury also had a win.

The Gisborne-East Coast and Hawke’s Bay centres will meet again in the regional octagonal competition to be held in Whanganui in February.

Last weekend’s fixture will have given players and coaches a useful indication of the skill level and the playing combinations that will be needed for that competition.