Adam Rickard a class above the rest in Poverty Bay East Coast indoor bowls junior singles

Poverty Bay East Coast indoor bowls centre masters fours champions (from left) Bryan Pulley, Lois Lamont, Warren Gibb and Nanette Treloar.

Poverty Bay East Coast centre junior and masters titles were decided over last weekend.

Adam Rickard won the under-18 junior singles event, while Warren Gibb, Bryan Pulley, Nanette Treloar and Lois Lamont won the masters fours.

Seven bowlers turned in a high standard of play in the junior singles, and three of them qualified for the playoffs – Rickard and siblings Jaykwan Casey and Quaylahn Casey.

Rickard drew the bye in the semifinal round, leaving Jaykwan Casey to battle it out with his sister for the other final spot.

Jaykwan proved too strong, winning 13-8.

In the final, Rickard took control from the start with some scintillating bowls.

Jaykwan also played some excellent shots, but was outgunned 16-5 by Rickard, whose experience shone through.

Poverty Bay East Coast indoor bowls centre under-18 junior singles champion Adam Rickard (right) and runner-up Jaykwan Casey.

The pair’s efforts qualified them for the New Zealand junior singles event in Hamilton in August.

Poverty Bay East Coast bowlers have won this event three times in the past five years, and on form, Rickard and Casey look likely to feature prominently.

Two teams fought out the masters fours over three games.

Andrew Rickard, Pauline Stone, Warren Edlin and Kevin White beat Gibb, Pulley, Treloar and Lamont 10-8 in the first, securing the win with their last bowl.

Gibb’s team turned the tables on Rickard’s crew in the second game, 7-6.

They got off to a flying start in the deciding game, leading 8-0 after four ends and keeping the opposition at bay for the rest of the clash to win 9-4.

The winning team will represent the district at the New Zealand masters fours zone final in Whakatāne in July.

As a lead-up to this event, the same combination will also take part in the North Island championships in Rotorua and the masters division of the nationals in Ashburton in June, at which they will be out to emulate their win from 2023.