Wright and Mills reach tournament quarterfinals

Dayvinia Mills

Gisborne Bowling Club’s Jamey Ferris and Ricky Miller and Kahutia’s Marie Wright and Dayvinia Mills contested the Bowls New Zealand champion of champions national men’s and women’s pairs finals at the weekend.

They were played indoors at the Dunedin Bowls Stadium.

Wright and Mills made it through to the quarterfinals on Sunday where they were beaten 23-17 by eventual winners Wendy Green and Lynette McIntosh from Taupo.

Faced with the artificial blue carpet surface and the indoor lighting for the first time, the Kahutia pair completed section play with four wins from five games and finished top of their section on differential.

They beat Tawa (Wellington) 23-10, Milford (North Harbour) 18-12, Mercury Bay (Thames Valley) 19-17 and Meadowbank (Oamaru) 22-9.

However, in their quarterfinal they had to bow to the considerable experience of Green and McIntosh, who have over 30 years’ experience of playing pairs together at national championship and intercentre level.

Ferris and Miller lost their first three games in section play on the first day, which virtually put them out of contention for making the quarterfinals.

They lost to Bowls Warkworth 23-17, Southland’s Gore Bowling Club 29-8 and Westport Bowling Club 17-8.

However, the next day they recovered well to beat Eastbourne (Wellington) 18-13 and Meadowbank (Oamaru) 23-9 to finish fourth in their section.

On Friday, attention turns to the indoor green in Hamilton, where the Kahutia four — Glenys Whiteman (skip), Wright, Mills and Francie Adair — will compete in the national champion of champions women’s fours finals.