Record fifth Burton Cup win for Marshall

Bowls Burton Cup - Vern Marshall

VERN Marshall has won Gisborne Bowling Club's marquee event, the Burton Cup, for a record fifth time after a weekend of hard-fought competition.

The Tolaga Bay Bowling Cub member became the first player to have his name etched on the prestigious trophy five times after being stuck on four wins with the late John Bunyan senior for over a decade.

Marshall first won the cup in 1984, just two years into his playing career and when the competition was in its heyday.

“In those days, we used to get 80 to 90 teams come to play,” he said.

“We used to have New Zealand representatives come here.”

Since its inception in 1910, the competition has gone through several iterations while only missing four years through both world wars.

Marshall's last win before this was in 2011. It was the last time the competition was played in a men's open fours format.

This was just the second time he had competed in it since then. He played in the Tolaga Bay Bowling Club team skipped by Mere Nepia, and they made it look easy.

Nepia, Marshall, Willy Murray and July Williams dropped only one of their 10 matches on the way to securing the trophy with a victory by 11 points.

With 10 points being the most a team could earn through a single round over the weekend, the team sat comfortably on top.

Marcus Merrick (skip), Jasmine Merrick, PK Tamihana and Ben Elkington were second, one point ahead of the third-placed team, skipped by Glenys Whiteman.

Marshall said it was uncommon for a team to run away with the win as they had. Competition was typically quite even.

“We just had the right runs at the right times,” he said.

“By the last round, we had a comfortable buffer.”

Marshall thanked the organisers and ground staff for running a fantastic weekend of bowls and, most importantly, his teammates.

“The bowling fraternity is like one big family and that's a big factor in why everyone plays the game.

“For my three teammates, it's the first time they've got their names on the cup. The weekend went really well.”

Winners: Mere Nepia (skip), Vern Marshall, Willy Murray and July Williams, 56 points.

Runners-up: Marcus Merrick (skip), Jasmine Merrick, P.K. Tamihana and Ben Elkington, 45pts.

Third: Glenys Whiteman (skip), Robin Jefferson, Joy Davis and Jeff Davis, 44pts.