Whiteman’s team win Ella Gibson Fours

WINNING FOUR: Kahutia Bowling Club team (from left) Paige Richter (lead), Marie Wright (director), Lucy Shanks (two) and Glenys Whiteman (skip) won the Ella Gibson Women's Open Fours. Picture supplied

Glenys Whiteman's Kahutia team won the Ella Gibson Women's Open Fours at the Poverty Bay Bowling Club greens over the weekend.

Whiteman, Marie Wright (director), Lucy Shanks (two) and Paige Richter (lead) beat the Wairoa Bowling Club team of Glenda Kapene (s), Jo Sturmey (d), Penny Mitchell (2) and Hine Whaanga (l) 15-7 in the final.

Whiteman's team were unbeaten over two days of play. They won all four games on Saturday, with eight points and a plus-32 differential to qualify for post-section play as a top-two team.

Eleven teams took part in the tournament — four from Gisborne Bowling Club, four from Poverty Bay, one from Kahutia, one from Te Karaka and one from Wairoa.

All teams had to play four games on Saturday and only eight could qualify for post-section games on Sunday.

In post-section play, Whiteman's team beat the Gisborne team of Queenie Takurua (s), Dayvinia Mills (d), Emily Hongara (2) and Joy McFarlane (l) 20-8 to advance to the next round.

The Takurua team finished seventh, with one win and a draw on Saturday for three points and a minus-23 differential.

Top qualifiers were the Poverty Bay team of Ngawai Turipa (s), Diane Christie (d), Kandyce Bevan (2) and Trish Leach (l), with four wins, eight points and a plus-33 differential.

On Sunday morning they beat the Gisborne club team of Bobbie Beattie 12-9 but lost to the Wairoa team of Kapene 20-3.

Earlier, the Kapene team had beaten the Poverty Bay team of Betty Herring 16-10.

Beattie, Lyn Trueman (d), Kym Brown (2) and Karen Higgins (l) finished eighth with one win, two points and a minus-21 differential.

The Gisborne team of Carol Hawes (s), Ginny Sherriff (d), Diane Phillips (2) and Lesley McIntosh (l) were sixth with two wins and a draw, five points and a plus-13 differential. In post-section play, they beat the Poverty Bay team of Jan Powell (s), Val McGreevy (d), Lesley Seymour (2) and Erin Sutherland (l) 16-10.

However, the Hawes team's run ended in the next round when Whiteman's team beat them 17-16.

The final — between the teams skipped by Whiteman and Kapene — had plenty of suspense, and the teams played high-quality bowls.

On the 10th end, Whiteman's Kahutia team held three shots. Sturmey, for the Wairoa team, moved the jack into the ditch with her last bowl to win a shot for her team.

On the 13th end, Richter, of Kahutia, had the shot. Whaanga, of Wairoa, took the shot with her last bowl but Wright then took the shot back with her first bowl and, with her second, pushed Mitchell's bowl to get another shot for the Kahutia team.

Not to be outdone, Whiteman took the shot by getting her bowl close to the jack, and Kahutia led 15-6.

On the 14th end, Kahutia held three shots but Sturmey cut it back to one shot. Kapene then took the shot to win the end for Wairoa.

However, with one end to play and Kahutia ahead 15-7, the teams decided not to play the last end.

Te Karaka Meat Traders sponsored the Ella Gibson Open Fours and the Peace Shield.