Qualifiers for post-section play were Jan Powell (s) and Erin Sutherland of Poverty Bay, Glenda Kapene (s) and Joanne Wroe of Wairoa, Mere Nepia (s) and Jasmine Merrick of Te Karaka, Glenys Whiteman (s) and Marie Wright of Kahutia, Lyn Trueman (s) and Diane Oates of Gisborne, Betty Herring (s) and Kathryn Flaugere of Poverty Bay, Luch Shanks (s) and Ngamiro Allen of Kahutia, and Carol Hawes (s) and Dayvinia Mills of Gisborne.
In the first round, Kapene and Wroe beat Powell and Sutherland 24-2, Whiteman and Wright beat Nepia and Merrick 15-14, Trueman and Oates beat Herring and Flaugere 19-10, and Shanks and Allen beat Hawes and Mills 30-9.
In the next round, Kapene and Wroe beat Whiteman and Wright 17-16 to secure their place in the final round.
Trueman and Oates also had a close game against Shanks and Allen. They were tied 13-all after the last end so had to play an extra end, which Trueman and Oates won for a 14-13 victory.
In the final, Kapene and Wroe played some brilliant bowls to beat Trueman and Oates 15-7 to win the women's centre pairs tournament. It was Kapene's fourth centre title and Wroe's first Gisborne-East Coast centre title. Wroe recently moved to Wairoa.
Fourteen teams entered the men's competition — three teams from Gisborne, two from Poverty Bay, four from Kahutia, three from Te Karaka and two from Tolaga Bay.
Three juniors teams took part — Tim Sherriff (s) and Peter Ferris, and Geoff Pinn (s) and Peter Clay of Gisborne, and Dawson Owen (s) and John Andrews of Poverty Bay.
The top eight teams who went through to post-section play on the Sunday were Vern Marshall (s) and Murray Duncan of Tolaga Bay, Dawson Owen (s) and John Andrews of Poverty Bay, Adam McIlroy (s) and Willie Murray of Te Karaka, Joe Wimutu (s) and Ray Young of Kahutia, Charlie Ure (s) and Bob McIlroy of Gisborne, Geoff Pinn (s) and Peter Clay of Gisborne, David File (s) and Steve Goldsbury of Te Karaka, and Alastair Macpherson (s) and Marty Ryan of Kahutia.
In the first round, Marshall and Duncan beat Owen and Andrews 30-6, McIlroy and Murray beat Wimutu and Young 20-13, Ure and McIlroy beat clubmates Pinn and Clay 20-13, and File and Goldsbury beat Macpherson and Ryan 15-12.
In the next round, Marshall and Duncan beat McIlroy and Murray 15-12 to secure their place in the final.
McIlroy and Ure beat File and Goldsbury 18-2.
The final, between Marshall/Duncan and McIlroy/Ure, was interesting to watch. Both pairs played some beautiful shots but Marshall and Duncan won most ends and ended up 19-9 winners.
It was the 54th centre title for Marshall and the fifth centre title — and a gold star — for Duncan.
George Vaotuua (s) and Frank McLoughlin of Kahutia won the plate (consolation) competition.
