Wairoa to host the centre champ of champs triples

BIG TASK: Murray Murton will skip his Kahutia team against David File’s Peace Shield winners from Te Karaka in the centre champion of champions senior men’s triples. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell

BOWLS

The first Bowls Gisborne East Coast Centre champion of champions tournament for the 2018-2019 season will be played at the Wairoa Bowling Club this weekend.

Four separate events will be contested — the senior men’s, senior women’s, junior men’s and junior women’s triples competitions.

All games will be played under the two-life system over 18 ends with a time limit of two hours 45 minutes, starting at 8.30am tomorrow with three rounds a day.

The host club has risen to the occasion by fielding teams in all the events, even though they have only a total of 20 members to call on at any one time.

The senior men’s field of six teams is the only one with all the centre’s clubs taking part. Wairoa Bowling Club’s Centennial Trophy is at stake here, and teams will be keen to win both the centre title and the trophy.

Fresh from their Peace Shield win last weekend, Te Karaka’s David File (skip), John Dawson and Duncan Macpherson will be looking for another good showing. They meet Kahutia’s Murray Murton (s), Gary Tocker and Harry Green in the first round.

Peace Shield runners-up Tolaga Bay’s Vern Marshall (s), Murray Duncan and Mick Maunder take on Gisborne’s Charlie Ure, Bob McIlroy and Robin Jefferson.

In the other first-round game, Wairoa’s Graham Fitzpatrick, Brent Smith and Steve McRoberts should have home town advantage over Poverty Bay’s Larry Kaloucava, who is skipping juniors Dawson Owen and Luke Sanders.

The senior women’s event has five teams in the field, with Kahutia’s Glenys Whiteman (s), Marie Wright and Dayvinia Mills looking for another centre title after their Ella Gibson success last weekend. They play Wairoa on their home green in the first round with Donna Smith, Glenda Kapene and Jo Sturmey determined to do well for their club.

Gisborne’s Bobbie Beattie skips Anne Day and Karen Higgins against Te Karaka’s Sarah Brown, Del Tamanui and Janet Baty in the other first-round game, while Poverty Bay’s Ora Peipi, Val McGreevy and June Stichbury have the bye.

The centre’s shortage of junior bowlers wishing to play competitively is clearly apparent from the fact that only three of the six centre clubs entered the junior men’s and women’s events.

In the junior men’s first round, Wairoa’s Vern Withey, Wayne Bestford and Ash Robinson will play Gisborne’s Ashli Ferris, Tim Sherriff and Steve Ward. Kahutia’s Joe Wimutu, Frank McLoughlin and Ray Young have the bye.

Wairoa’s Hine Whaanga, Penny Mitchell and Raelene Tangiora have the first-round bye in the junior women’s event with Gisborne’s Ginny Sherriff, Kay Goldsbury and Beverly Davy drawn against Poverty Bay’s Kym Walters, Ngawai Turipa and Norma Miller.