Among the favourites were the team of Queenie Takurua (s), Dayvinia Mills and Libby Clay, of the Gisborne club. They had two wins on the Saturday and a differential of plus-7.
In the post-section play on Sunday, they faced fellow club members Janice Allan (s), Karen Pinn and Nanette Treloar — the only women’s team with two second-year bowlers playing their first centre women’s open triples.
Allan’s team had three wins on Saturday with a differential of plus-21 and finished in the top three to qualify for post-section play on Sunday.
They led by a comfortable margin in the game against the Takurua team until their opponents made a commendable comeback to level the score. With the score 19-all at the end of the game, they had to play an extra end — a shoot-out end to determine the winners.
Allan’s team lost 22-19 to their more experienced opponents and so failed to make the semifinal. Some excellent bowls were played throughout and it was great seeing some new players qualifying for post-section play and getting the taste of playing against the “top guns”.
Another favoured team were the combination of Lyn Trueman (s), Dianne Phillips and Adrienne Torrie, from Gisborne Bowling Club. They had three wins on Saturday with a differential of plus-three and finished fifth.
However, they did not make it to the semifinal as they lost to Jan Powell’s team on Sunday morning after some exciting play.
In the semifinal, Takurua and her team had to face last year’s reigning champions Whiteman, Wright and Richter.
Mills played some great shots throughout to win some ends. But Whiteman and her team played their hearts out to win the game and go through to the final round, keeping the centre women’s open triples for another year.
A big thank-you to tournanment sponsor Judy Blair, who presented the trophy to the winner at the prizegiving on Sunday afternoon.
