Indoor bowlers beat big guns for Division 2 spot

A BIG DAY: Poverty Bay-East Coast have a place in the second division of a new competition. They are, back (from left): Bryan Pulley, Leighton Shanks, David Lynn, Bruce Easton and Keith Setter. Front: Malcolm Trowell, Nathan Trowell, Jay Casey, Matthew Foster and Dylan Foster. Picture supplied

Poverty Bay-East Coast's Top 8 indoor bowlers received accolades from bowlers throughout the country when they toppled Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay and heavyweights Tauranga in the Patterson Top 8 challenge event in Tauranga.

Their efforts gained them second place in the competition, and therefore entry into the second division in a new Top 8 competition next year.

Waikato were the eventual winners, gaining first division status.

“We are the third-smallest centre in New Zealand and over the past 20 years-plus in this event we were getting hidings from the other four, bigger member centres,” said David Lynn, who has played in all the Top 8 events over that time.

“The drive home from, say, Hamilton or Tauranga after finishing last was always a pretty quiet trip,” he said.

“But around five years ago the focus changed. Our centre got behind bowlers under 18 years old, spending thousands of dollars on junior bowls.

“This work paid off for Poverty Bay-East Coast. Out of the six zones or 33 districts contesting this event thoughout the country this year, we had the youngest team.

“The winners of each zone go into the first division in the new 2023 competition, second place gets you into the second division, and so on.”

Selector Malcolm Trowell's eight-strong team of Keith Setter, Matthew Foster, Lynn, Jay Casey, Malcolm Trowell, Nathan Trowell, Leighton Shanks and Dylan Foster, along with Bryan Pulley (reserve) and Bruce Easton (manager) were in fourth place after the first day of play, but on Day 2 the team turned it on. They won all four pairs games to gain a maximum 12 points to get them up to third spot.

Five wins from eight singles games followed by two wins out of their two fours games pushed Poverty Bay-East Coast up to second spot with only a singles round and pairs round left.

In the last singles round, they notched up four wins (eight points). They needed two wins in the final pairs round to secure second place, and got them. Final scores were Waikato 98, PBEC 77.5, Tauranga 77, Hawke's Bay 59 and BoP 48.5.

“It was a much better ride home from Tauranga this year,” Lynn said.

The 2023 second division competition will more than likely be held in Wellington, so fundraising to fly 10 bowlers there next year will be on the centre's agenda unless a major sponsor comes to the fore.