On the mats — Indoor bowls news

TOP MIXED PAIR: New Zealand Mixed Pairs local winners Marise Raklander and Andrew Rickard, with the trophy for their win. They will contest the zone final in Whakatane. Pictures by Rebecca Grunwell

Andrew Rickard and Marise Raklander will represent Poverty Bay-East Coast in the zone final of the New Zealand Mixed Pairs. They won the local final 9-6 against Malcolm and Jenny Trowell.

The zone final, to be held in Whakatane in July, will be a round robin in which Rickard and Raklander will play pairs from Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Thames Valley and Tauranga.

They won three out of their four games to qualify for the sudden-death playoffs.

In their semifinal, they beat 2019 and 2020 winners Nathan and Kayla Trowell 8-6 before coming up against Nathan and Kayla’s parents.

The Trowells got off to a good start in the nine-end final to lead 3-0 after two ends, but then Raklander got into the game, drawing some great shots for teammate Rickard. They scored one point on ends 3, 4 and 5 to draw level at 3-3.

Two points to the Trowells on End 6 took the score to 5-3 in their favour, but then Raklander and Rickard scored four points on End 7 to regain the lead, 7-5.

One point to the Trowells on End 8 closed the gap to one point, 7-6.

On the last end, Raklander again drew close to the jack. With Rickard following up, they scored two points for the 9-6 victory.

This was Rickard’s first mixed pairs victory, and 15th centre title all up.

Raklander, who started playing again last year, notched up centre title No.17 and her third mixed pairs win, following on from wins in 1995 and 1996.

Arnold Hutchins was unbeatable in the Poverty Bay-East Coast Centre Open Singles.

He defeated Malcolm Trowell in the nine-end final 7-6.

Known to some as “the master”, Hutchins played inch-perfect bowls to win all four of his games to qualify for the sudden-death playoffs.

In his semifinal, he played New Zealand under-18 singles champion Matthew Foster, but Hutchins was on another level and defeated Foster 11-6.

The final was close. On the last end, Hutchins was 7-5 up, with Trowell holding at least two shots. Hutchins got down and drew his last bowl for second shot . . . and victory.

This was the 75th centre title and 18th gold-star-status title for Hutchins.

Hutchins, a multiple national champion, first won the centre open singles 61 years ago as a youngster in 1960.

He followed that up with wins in 1973, 1976, 1982 and 1986, and then had a long break from the game. However, he came back to the sport and continued where he left off.

Hutchins is playing great bowls, and local bowlers hope he will be available for selection in the Patterson Challenge Top 8 event in July. His form and knowledge in that team would be invaluable.