Pat on back for organisers and winners

CHALLENGE REPELLED: Poverty Bay-East Coast repelled Bay of Plenty attempts to wrest the Nolan Richardson Trophy from their grasp. The trophy holders are (from left): Andrew Rickard, Marise Raklander, Nanette Treloar, Arnold Hutchins, Steve Goldsbury, Warren Gibb, Pauline Stone and Bruce Easton.

It's a busy time on the indoor bowls mats, both inside and outside the region.

The organisation of the sport requires a top centre committee. Organising travel and accommodation, finding people to select teams, sorting out financial help for players travelling to represent the district — for these and other services, the members of the Poverty Bay-East Coast committee deserve an accolade.

The Poverty Bay-East Coast Top 8 junior (under-18) bowlers travelled to Hamilton and were in commanding form on Day 1, thrashing North Taranaki 64-0.

The team of Rachael Rickard, Lenard Keelan, Ta Whai Moran-Tumene, Nathan Trowell, Kayla Trowell, Souta Preddey (on debut), Adam Rickard and Dylan Foster were unstoppable.

On Day 2, the team contested the Membery Pearce Trophy. Having won it five years in a row, the team were hot favourites to win the trophy again . . . until a top-notch Tauranga team walked in.

Five centres took part in the competition. The others were Bay of Plenty, North Taranaki and a Waikato/King Country combination.

Halfway through the day, Tauranga were in the lead, on 49 points. Poverty Bay-East Coast had 44, Waikato 24, North Taranaki 17 and Bay of Plenty 6.

In the second half of the day, Poverty Bay-East Coast lost some crucial games and Tauranga took the victory with 75.5 points to Poverty Bay-East Coast's 71.

Top players for PBEC were Adam Rickard, with 10 wins from his 10 games, and debutant Souta Preddey, who won eight games and drew two from her 10.

While the junior team were in Hamilton, another Poverty Bay-East Coast team were travelling to Opotiki to contest the Nolan Richardson Trophy against Bay of Plenty.

The team of Andrew Rickard, Marise Raklander, Nanette Treloar, Arnold Hutchins, Steve Goldsbury, Warren Gibb, Pauline Stone and Bruce Easton were in command throughout the day. They retained the trophy, scoring 40.5 points to the Bay of Plenty total of 31.5.

The Hunt Trophy was next on the Poverty Bay-East Coast radar. Central Hawke's Bay and Napier also contested the tournament, which was held in Gisborne.

The Poverty Bay-East Coast team of Arnold Hutchins, Pauline Stone, Andrew Rickard, Warren Gibb, Nanette Treloar, Steve Goldsbury, Adam Rickard, Hina Preddey and Marise Raklander had 23 points halfway through the competition. Napier had 16.5 points and Central Hawke's Bay, 14.5 points.

The team then went into overdrive and finished the day triumphant on 47 points to Napier's 34.5 and Central Hawke's Bay's 26.5.

The White Family Pairs was contested locally with 10 teams competing. The White family organised the event some years ago to encourage non-bowlers to have a go.

Kevin White, along with brother Grant and his wife Raewyn, continue to support the tournament by sponsoring prizes.

After four games were played, Dylan Foster and Jenny Trowell were outright winners with four wins, followed by Matthew Foster and Lola Bayram.

It was a case of keeping it in the family. Kevin and Grant White are great uncles of Dylan and Matthew Foster, and Raewyn White is a great aunt.