Second in Clubs NZ tourney

CLUBS NZ NORTH ISLAND RUNNERS-UP: The Gisborne Cosmopolitan Club team of (from left) Glenys Whiteman (skip), Carol Hawes (3), Judy Taylor (2) and Lesley McIntosh (lead) with the championship runners-up trophy. Picture by Arthur Hiscock

A TEAM from Gisborne Cosmopolitan Club finished second in the Clubs New Zealand North Island Women’s Outdoor Bowls Tournament in Tokoroa last week.

Glenys Whiteman (skip), Carol Hawes (3), Judy Taylor (2) and Lesley McIntosh (lead) lost the grand final 18-16.

The winners, from the Tokoroa Club Inc, were Gaylene Harvey (skip), Natasha Grimshaw (3), Maria Howe (2) and Carol Cox (lead).

It was the second year in a row that Tokoroa Bowling Club had hosted this tournament. As well as the two greens in Tokoroa, greens at the Hinuera Bowling Club 44 kilometres away, the Arapuni club 32km away and the Putaruru club 22km away were used.

The competition drew 62 teams from all over the North Island, and they were divided into five sections.

Heavy rain and flooded greens meant play scheduled for the first day, Monday, was called off, but competition got under way on the Tuesday.

Teams played three games a day, each game lasting 18 ends or two and a half hours, whichever came first.

Whiteman’s Gisborne Cosmopolitan team were the top qualifiers in their section with three wins, 36 ends won, 69 points for, 20 against and a differential of 49.

On Wednesday, the top 16 teams from section play contested the Championship Cup. The top three teams from each section were joined by the next best fourth team from any section.

Post-section play for the championship and plate events was at the Tokoroa club, while the consolation event was held at Putaruru and Arapuni clubs.

By the end of Wednesday’s play the field in the main event had been narrowed to four teams, and Gisborne were ranked second.

On Thursday, Whiteman’s Gisborne team beat Wendy Green’s Taupo Cosmopolitan four, while Harvey’s Tokoroa team beat the Taradale Club team skipped by Sheryl Viggers, setting the stage for the grand final.