Mixed pairs, positions for final tournament

HALF OF TOP TEAM: Centre men’s singles champion Tolaga Bay’s Vern Marshall teams up with women’s singles winner Maria Wright of Kahutia Bowling Club to be the combination to beat in the 2-4-2 Mixed Pairs being played at the Gisborne Bowling Club this weekend. File picture

The last Bowls Gisborne East Coast Centre tournament of the 2018-19 season, the 2-4-2 Mixed Pairs, takes place at the Gisborne Bowling Club this weekend starting at 8.30am tomorrow and finishing on Sunday afternoon.

The event was scheduled to be played in mid-January but was postponed until later in the season.

The centre board finally made the decision to play the tournament this weekend and even though concerns were raised about the dates being allocated so late in the season, a pleasing entry of 18 teams has been received.

The 2-4-2 concept is unique in the sport as both pairs players have to be versatile and interchange positions each end.

The first two players have to deliver two bowls each and then change over, and the other players deliver four consecutive bowls. Another change over takes place and the leads now become skips and play the last two bowls of the end.

Roles are reversed for the next end and this format continues until the end of each game.

These games provide excellent spectator fare and also greatly assist player development, especially for those new to the sport, as they have to play different shots each end.

Four games of 10 ends or a time limit of one hour 45 minutes are set down for section play on Saturday, with a reduced time limit to ensure all games are finished in daylight, before sunset at around 5pm.

On Sunday the top eight teams based on wins, draws and differential — total net shots — will play off for the Dianne Memorial Trophy. A consolation event for non-qualifiers may be held subject to sufficient entries being received.

Based on recent performances, the combination of Tolaga Bay’s Vern Marshall and Kahutia’s Marie Wright must be the favourites.

Marshall returned to top form when he won the Centre Champion of Champions Senior Men’s Singles and Wright has had a great season, winning the Centre Women’s Open Singles as well as a number of other centre titles.

Looking through the centre records, a number of players entered this weekend have won this event more than once. The likes of Glenys Whiteman and Bobbie and Dave Beattie are among this group as well as Robin Jefferson, Bob McIlroy and Vern Marshall.

One piece of family history unfolded during the centre records inspection. Warwick Davy, a past member of the Gisborne Bowling Club, now resident in the Hawke’s Bay, won this event in 2005 with Riverside’s Sheila Grant, while Warwick’s sister Beverly Davy teamed up with her Gisborne BC clubmate Robin Jefferson to win the title last season.