Havelock North Bowls team win winter series reional final

LINED UP: Te Karaka skip Boon McIlroy sends down a bowl in the regional finals of the Tiger Turf Winter Series bowls tournament at the Poverty Bay Bowling Club greens on Saturday. Pictures by Rebecca Grunwell

A HAVELOCK North team skipped by Ian Mason won the regional final of the Tiger Turf Winter Series bowls tournament at the Poverty Bay Bowling Club greens on Saturday.

They will contest the national finals in Auckland on August 27.

In the regional final, they beat a Poverty Bay Bowling Club team skipped by Jon Davies.

Four teams from Hawke’s Bay travelled to Gisborne to contest the regional finals against four qualifying teams from Gisborne.

The staging of Tiger Turf Winter Series qualifying tournaments is open only to clubs with a Tiger Turf all-weather playing surface.

Morning rain cleared and play went ahead unhindered.

Teams were divided into two sections of four teams, who each played three games to determine section winners and runners-up to play for final positions.

Section 1 — Winners: Ian Mason (skip), Bruce Stewart and Peter Mowat (Havelock North Bowling Club).

Runners-up: Boon McIlroy (s), Ben Brown and Sarah Brown (Te Karaka Bowling Club).

Section 2 — Winners: Jon Davies (s), Peter Oliver and Peter Walters (Poverty Bay Bowling Club).

Runners-up: Tony Terry (s), Patrick O’Neill and Michael Isaacson (Heretaunga Bowling Club).

In the semifinals, Mason beat McIlroy and Davies beat Terry to set up a final between Havelock North and Poverty Bay.

The final was exciting, both teams playing some excellent bowls, but Mason’s team proved the stronger and took both sets to advance to the national finals.