Heavy rain disrupts three-day bowls octagonal tournament

GISBORNE-EAST COAST WOMEN: Team members for the octagonal tournament in Manawatu were (from left) Sharon Olsen, Lesley Seymour, Glenda Kapene, Tanya Harrison, Mere Nepia, Dayvinia Mills, Carol Hawes, Jasmine Merrick, Lyn Trueman, Bobbie Beattie and Anita Vaotuua. Picture supplied by Tanya Harrison

Heavy rain disrupted a three-day octagonal tournament contested by Bowls Gisborne-East Coast men's and women's teams in Manawatu.

The men's team finished sixth out of eight, with four wins, eight points and a differential of minus-31.

Gisborne-East Coast women finished fifth, with seven wins, 14 points and a differential of -23.

Paul Harrison, Steve Goldsbury and Geoff Pinn (Gisborne); Don Hoepo-Williams, Andrew Ball and Steve Berezowski (Poverty Bay); William Murray and Ray Young (Kahutia); Ben Elkington (Tolaga Bay); and July Hoepo (Te Karaka). Manager: Tim Sherriff.

The singles were contested by Harrison; the pairs by Hoepo-Williams (skip) and Hoepo; the triples by Goldsbury (skip), Ball (two) and Murray (lead); and the fours by Berezowski (skip), Elkington (director), Pinn (two) and Young (lead).

They were up against teams representing Wellington, Kapiti Coast, Wairarapa, Manawatu, Whanganui, Taranaki and Hawke's Bay.

In Round 1, Harrison lost 25-23 to the Wellington singles player; Hoepo-Williams lost 14-13 in the pairs to Wairarapa; Goldsbury lost 19-10 to Taranaki in the triples; and Berezowski lost 18-15 to Manawatu in the fours.

In Round 2, Harrison beat Kapiti Coast 25-7; the pair lost 21-8 to Manawatu; the triples lost 15-13 to Wairarapa; and the four lost 22-12 to Wellington.

In Round 3, Gisborne-East Coast beat Hawke's Bay 25-15 in the singles and Kapiti Coast 21-6 in the fours. The pair lost 23-6 to Wellington and the triples lost 19-14 to Manawatu.

Games were called off on Saturday due to heavy rain, so on Sunday both men's and women's teams played only one game.

Harrison beat the Wairarapa singles player 25-23; the pair lost 19-14 to Whanganui; the triple lost 16-11 to Hawke's Bay; and the four lost 16-12 to Taranaki.

Tanya Harrison, Dayvinia Mills, Carol Hawes and Lyn Trueman (Gisborne); Anita Vaotuua and Lesley Seymour (Poverty Bay); Mere Nepia and Jasmine Merrick (Te Karaka); Glenda Kapene (Wairoa) and Sharon Olsen (Tolaga Bay). Selector/manager: Bobbie Beattie

The singles were contested by Mills; the pairs by Kapene (skip) and Harrison; the triples by Trueman (skip), Vaotuua (director) and Olsen (lead); and the fours by Nepia (skip), Merrick (director), Hawes (two) and Seymour (lead).

In Round 1, Mills beat the Wellington singles player 25-18 and the four beat Manawatu 20-4. The pairs lost 23-11 to Wairarapa and the triples lost 21-8 to Taranaki.

In Round 2, the triples beat Wairarapa 17-14; the singles lost 25-4 to Kapiti Coast; the pairs lost 19-12 to Manawatu; and the four lost 18-9 to Wellington.

In Round 3, the triple lost 15-14 to Manawatu, while the singles beat Hawke's Bay 25-10. The pairs beat Wellington 17-15 and the four beat Kapiti Coast 22-12.

In Round 4, the four beat Hawke's Bay 24-7. The triple lost 26-5 to Wellington. Harrison played in the singles and lost 25-17 to Whanganui. Meanwhile, Kapene skipped Mills in the pairs and they lost 15-14 to Kapiti Coast.

Gisborne-East Coast men's and women's teams performed creditably in Manawatu despite wet weather and a reduced schedule of games.