Three out of four to Kahutia

Mick Maunder, Vern Marshall

IT was three out of four to Kahutia Bowling Club members in the champion of champions pairs events played on their home greens this month.

The two-life system of play was used.

Winners were Kahutia’s Vern Marshall and Mick Maunder in the open men, Glenys Whiteman and Dayvinia Mills in the open women, and Lucy Shanks and Diane Oates in the junior women, and Tolaga Bay’s Murray Duncan and Ben Elkington in the junior men.

Marshall and Maunder went through the event undefeated. They beat Tolaga Bay 16-10, Wairoa 25-13 and Te Karaka 21-13, then had the bye.

The final ended four ends early when Wairoa’s Denis Francois was injured and was unable to continue.

In the women’s open, Kahutia defeated Wairoa 22-15 in the final.

Earlier, Wairoa had beaten Kahutia 15-14, but Whiteman and Mills turned the tables in the next meeting, 20-11, before taking the Wairoa pair’s second life.

In the junior women’s pairs, Kahutia defeated Wairoa 29-4, had a bye, and then defeated Poverty Bay 23-7.

Te Karaka then beat Kahutia 19-12, before Kahutia turned the tables, 17-10, in the final.

In the junior men’s division, Tolaga Bay’s Duncan and Elkington defeated Poverty Bay 22-12, had a bye, then beat Te Karaka 18-17.

It was good to see some new names among the winners. Diane Oates and Ben Elkington are both second-year players — well done.

The Kahutia greens played extremely well.

This weekend, fours will be played. For the men, the Peace Shield is at stake. It is two years off a hundred years old, having been first contested in 1920. Women will contest the Ella Gibson fours.