Bowls: Law can overcome tough times

CHALLENGING TIMES: Havelock North's Liffy Law is one of four Hawke's Bay skips to qualify for the top 16. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR

MOANS about the windy conditions were common in the locker rooms as play on day two of the North Island Chartered Clubs bowls tournament ended at venues around Hawke's Bay yesterday.

Havelock North skip Liffy Law had more than the wind to worry about. Sue Ashton, who was a late replacement for Susan Belcher in her team because Belcher was heading overseas on holiday, produced a gutsy effort in the wind before calling it quits for the remainder of the week with a bout of bronchitis.

Law, one of four Hawke's Bay skips to qualify for the top 16 in the 96-team event which has $6400 in prizemoney up for grabs, has replaced Ashton with Dale Rodderick. Seventy three-year-old Law is no stranger to challenges.

Five years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer and after surgery and treatment she returned to bowls.

"The support I received from teammates and other club members was fantastic. This experience made me more focused and helped me set clearer goals, both in life and in sport," Law explained.

Her team, which also includes Heather Leyland and Josephine Connolly, won two of their three games yesterday to finish with five wins from their six section games. They beat an Ohope team skipped by Margaret Barkla and a Bowls Taradale team skipped by Olive DeRidder and lost to a South Wairarapa team skipped by Gayle Hemi.

"While the wind was frustrating it was good to have the advantage of playing at the home club," Law said.

The Hawke's Bay senior women's selector has played at the Havelock North club for 13 years. The grandmother-of-four played in Taihape for two years before moving to the Bay.

Two years ago Law, a multiple centre and club titleholder, skipped the second placed team in the 26th edition of this annual chartered clubs tournament.

"It would be nice to win it here in the Bay. But it's going to be tough ... all we can do is our best."

Should Law and co capture the title, bowlers from throughout the Bay would have no hesitation in toasting the achievement. A valued chairperson of Bowls Hawke's Bay's inaugural board, Law, set up new governance structures, policies and procedures before resigning to take up her club treasurer's role.

The other Hawke's Bay skips to qualify are Taradale Club's Louise Fitness and Allison Lott and Taradale RSA's Robyn Wallace. The top 16 have been divided into four sections and will play three games at Bowls Taradale today.

Tomorrow the winners of each section will play two games and wins and points accumulated will determine the major placings. Lott, Wallace and Fitness are all in the same section which means only one of these teams could be left in the battle for the title.

Yesterday, Fitness beat Wallace 18-15 in a close tussle at the Kia Toa club. Former New Zealand and Hawke's Bay representative Patsy Jorgensen is playing for a Tauranga Citizens Club team which qualified for the top 16.

One team which missed out was the highly fancied Manurewa Cosmopolitan Club team which includes Bowls Taradale's Lillian Tukiri.

Eight of the teams that Bowls Taradale president Colleen Ferrick predicted to qualify for the top 16 did.

"The other eight would have if it wasn't for those strong winds," Ferrick quipped.
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