Bowls: Mixed pairs final a marathon effort

The mixed pairs bowling effort was a very close match. Photo / 123RF

The Centre mixed pairs and women's fours were completed this week and all representatives have now been found to compete from March 11-15 at Onerahi in the Regional Club Championships.

The 16-end mixed pairs final between John Dunn and Linda Swanson (Onerahi) and Maree Attwood and Bryce Mackie (Composite) took just on three hours to complete with five ends having to be replayed after they were killed by drives.

This match was a very close affair until the 11th end, where the score was 9-all. A four on the 12th gave Mackie/Attwood the advantage and although Dunn/Swanson clawed back two shots on the next two ends it was not enough.

The last end was killed twice before a third attempt put the jack in the ditch. Dunn was holding three shots until Attwood drew the shot close to the ditch to score on the final end to take match 14-11.

This was a first Northland title for Mackie and 14th for Attwood, who will now represent Northland in the regional mixed pairs and the regional women's pairs in a few weeks time.

The Centre women's fours semis and final were played following the completion of the pairs.

Anne Bateman, Betty Mitchell, Gwen Lawson and Manu Timoti (Hikurangi) played Maureen Parker, Pam Brewster, Gwenda Smith and Shirley James (Kensington) while Leanne Stewart, Mary Brewster, Sue Rokstad and Diane Lawrence (Hikurangi) met Maree Attwood, Lauren Mills, Pat Warth and Caroline Downs (Kensington) in the semis.

The Bateman/Parker match saw Parker start strongly but 13 shots scored by Bateman in four of the last six ends saw the result change and Hikurangi win the match 19-10.

In the other semifinal, after four ends Stewart had shot out to an 8-1 lead, Attwood then came back with six shots on the next three ends.

After nine ends it was 11-7 to Stewart. On the 10th end they dropped six shots to put the Attwood combination into the lead, however the next end saw Stewart score a five to reverse the lead and have a three shot advantage.

Although Attwood scored two on the next end, Stewart scored a single on the last end to come out the winner 17-15.

The final was between the two Hikurangi combinations. This match was a game of two halves. After eight ends the score was 10-2 to Stewart.

Bateman then scored 14 shots on the next seven ends to complete the match with a 16-10 win. This was a 27th title for Bateman, 17th for Mitchell, 14th for Lawson and Timoti's 19th.

Junior bowlers are reminded that the next event for them is their junior singles and entries close todayfor this event. The singles will be followed by the open tournament for first year bowlers.

Clubs, please support your new bowlers and help them to enter this event. These events will be followed by the Centre 1-8 any combination triples. Get a team up among your friends and enter. Team members do not have to be all from the same club.

The Regional Club Championships will be played at the Onerahi greens from March 11-15, with mixed pairs to be followed by singles, pairs, triples and fours on the following days.

This weekend sees the start of the NZ Trust singles, pairs, triples and tournament for players with a disability being played at greens throughout the greater Auckland area.

Several Northland and Far North players are competing and we wish everyone success.

Local tournaments around the greens this next week are being held at the following venues: Tue 13th Waipu Mx Triples; Wed 14th Mangawhai Bonus Mx Fours, Thur 15th Kensington AC Triples.