BOWLS - Close finishes at champion of champions

With Garry Houlahan
Centre Champion of Champion Fours were completed on the weekend and the finals of both the men's and women's competitions saw an extra end needed to find the winners.
After the early rounds on Saturday, Kensington were the only women's team with two lives and Bowls Whangarei, Onerahi and Hakaru each had one life.
On Sunday morning Kensington defeated Bowls Whangarei and Hakaru beat Onerahi. The final between Kensington and Hakaru was close throughout with both skips, Anne Bateman and Sue Wightman, playing great bowls. The teams were Bateman, Trish Murray, Shirley Holland and Amy Burgess (Kensington) and Wightman, Pam White, Jill Ireland and Judy Whelan (Hakaru). The win gave Bateman her 15th centre title and third gold star while Murray is close to her first with four titles. Holland had the thrill of winning her first centre title and Burgess won her second. Well done to all.
After Saturday's play in the men's competition Bowls Whangarei were the only remaining two-lifer and had the bye in the first round on Sunday morning while the one-lifers were Kamo, Maungatapere, Dargaville and Onerahi. Maungatapere beat Kamo in a very close game while Onerahi defeated Dargaville, reversing the result when the two teams met on Saturday when both were two-lifers.
In the second round Maungatapere got the bye and the two-lifers Bowls Whangarei went down to Onerahi in a great game. This win gave Onerahi a bye into the final while Whangarei had to play Maungatapere and had a comfortable win. Onerahi and Bowls Whangarei then had to play again and led 15-6 after 10. ends. But Whangarei fought back and tied up the game at 15-15 after the regulation 15 ends requiring an extra end to be played. Neither skip could improve on Tom Chapman's shot so Whangarei won.
Teams were Chapman, John Jamieson, Garry Houlahan and Sam Prasad (Bowls Whangarei) and John Dunn, Warwick Edgar, Bill Starkie and Gordon Bond (Onerahi).
The win gave Chapman his 14th Centre title, Jamieson his 11th, Houlahan his 6th and Prasad his 7th. Well done to all.
* High numbers for
first-year singlesIn recent years the Centre First Year Singles tournament has attracted only moderate fields and men and women have combined to play the event as one tournament. But a pleasing 40 entries year means two separate tournaments are planned. The women will now play at Kamo and the men at Bowls Whangarei.
Entries are:
Men at Bowls Whangarei: Bob Smith (Whangarei), Tony Farr (Mt Manaia), Ray Greening (Mangawhai), Rory O'Connor (Whangarei), Bill Butterfield, Terry John, Idwal Leese, Rob Cleaver (Mangawhai), Duncan McGregor, Bruce Hayward, Russell Schreiber (One Tree Point), Ron Heaton, Graham Irving (Mangawhai), Brian Caddy (Kamo), Ray Hynes Irwin Van Pelt (Maungaturoto), Ian Turner (Onerahi), Nick Reed (Mamaranui), Murray Hall, Blair Dempsey (Mt Manaia).
Women at Kamo: Merle John, Nicolette Franks (Hakaru), Emma Erceg, Jayne Mitchell, Diane Strawbridge (Kensington), Margaret Sands (Whangarei), Gay Clement (Arapohue), Christine De Lacy, Joy Harris, Joan Burgess (Kamo), Kathy Farr (Mt Manaia), Wilma McGregor, Val Christie, Phyllis Hayward, Coral Todd, Yvonne Murphy, Trish Williams (One Tree Point), Helen Neville, P. McMurchy (Maungaturoto), Alison Robertson (Dargaville).
Please remember to bring a marker and the best of bowling to you all.
Tradition of charity going strongFourteen years ago the Kittyhawks Bowling Club held their first charity tournament and donated television sets to North Haven Hospice from the proceeds. The club recently held their final tournament for the year at Bowls Whangarei and the proceeds again went to the hospice to replace the original television sets.
The hospice has received substantial funds from the club over the years and many people have enjoyed some relief in their last days from the Kittyhawks efforts.
Good to see the club continuing to give support to this very worthwhile charity.
Triples tourney attracts large fieldThe Arapohue club's annual Ken Bradley Memorial Triples is this weekend and again has attracted a large field with many visitors. This is now the only extended tournament left in the North and the keen bowlers certainly enjoy it.
The draw is:
At Arapohue: T. Skinner (Silverdale), P. Cullen (Helensville), Okahu Bay No. 4, J. Foy (Frankton), J. Tikitiki (Far North), K. Bilson (Mt Wellington), R. Smith (Bridge Park), T. Chapman (Whangarei), S. Foy (Arapohue), A. Rakich (Dargaville), P. Thompson (Arapohue), R. Sowerby (Kensington), S. White (Mangawhai).
At Ruawai No. 2: C. Ruawhare (Kaikohe), G. Maunsell (Opononi), T. Campbell (Opononi), R. Talbot (Okahu Bay), I. Donovan (Opononi), D. Frame (Bridge Park), O. Sutton (Putaruru), B. Henderson (Ruawai), D. Clements (Arapohue), W. McLeish (Whangarei RSA), T. Webb (Arapohue), T. McMahaon (Maungaturoto), D. Breckon (Coopers Beach), G. Gallant (Kamo).
At Ruawai No. 1: W. Kidd (Thames), Okahu Bay No. 2, Okahu Bay No. 3, A. Brown (Onehunga RSA), G. Slattery (Waitoa), M. Bradley (Mt Maunganui), M. Thurston (Ruawai), A. Paton (Maungaturoto), P. Wightman (Mangawhai), W. Webb (Arapohue), T. Munga (Ruawai), R. Bowmar (Onerahi).
At Dargaville No. 1: P. Hool (Te Atatu), G. Moran (Pauanui), N. Bell (Pt Chevalier), P. Burgess (Waimauku), M. King (Kawakawa), C. Young (Te Kuiti), J. Jamieson (Whangarei), Carl Van Haaften (Kensington), G. Lawrence (Arapohue), S.Prasad (Whangarei), B. Horscroft (Onerahi), V. Moffat (Te Kopuru).
At Dargaville No. 2: K. Robinson (East Manly), T. Pope (East Manly), H. Wikiara (Opononi), D. Holmes (Kaikohe), J. Tanoa (Frankton Railway), Coe Van Haaften (Kensington), S. Perrett (Arapohue), M. Price (Dargaville) R. Davidson (Nelson), M. Le Gros (Arapohue). First-year player comes up trumpsThe Onerahi Bowling Club held their Bertha Burkhardt Memorial Triples on Saturday and the winners were a local team of Fred Ogilvie, Margaret Nathan-O'Neill and Ian Turner.
The win was especially pleasing for first-year player Turner, who was playing in his first tournament and came up trumps! Second was a composite team of Dennis Snelling, Bruce Clarkson and Jim Taylor with another Onerahi team of Danny Ilievski, Roger Kerr-Davis and Rose Tantau in third spot.