Kahutia four champions — qualify for nationals

BEST OF THE BEST: Another title is in the bag for Kahutia Bowling Club’s champion four. They are (from left): Dayvinia Mills, Francie Adair, Marie Wright and Glenys Whiteman (skip), pictured after they won the Bowls Gisborne East Coast champion of champions women’s fours final on Saturday. Picture supplied

Kahutia Bowling Club’s Glenys Whiteman (skip), Marie Wright, Francie Adair and Dayvinia Mills capped off a memorable season for them when they won the champion of champions senior women’s fours.

It was the last centre event on the local lawn bowls calendar for the 2018/19 season, and was held at the Gisborne Bowling Club on Saturday.

Although the final score was 24 shots to 13 to Kahutia, their opponents from the Poverty Bay Bowling Club — Ora Peipi (skip), Jan Powell, Diane Christie and June Stichbury — certainly had their moments during the game.

Both teams had only one life each left and fortunes fluctuated during the first half of the game, with a gusty wind blowing across the green making conditions tricky for all players right from the start.

Kahutia were only ahead by 11 shots to 9 after eight ends, but on the next end Poverty Bay dropped a game-changing maximum eight shots, which increased Kahutia’s lead to 10 shots and gave them a winning advantage over the last few ends.

This final between the Kahutia and Poverty Bay clubs had been held over since mid-April because of inclement weather that weekend, and then with some players not being available until this Saturday meant the game was postponed until then.

As well as winning another centre title each, the Kahutia team also qualified for the Bowls NZ Champion of Champions Women’s Fours national finals to be played at Hamilton’s Frankton Railway Bowling Club’s indoor green next month.