BOWLS - Representative teams set to do battle in regional bowls

With Garry Houlahan
Representative teams take off to Auckland for the regional finals of the Inter Centre event this weekend. Far North, Northland, North Harbour and Auckland will do battle to go through to the national finals in Palmerston North in April.
* Sevens into final
Last Sunday saw the regional finals of the Interclub Sevens played in Auckland and congratulations to the Kensington No.3 team who have won their way to the national final by taking out the women's Division 2 competition. After the first round they trailed Mairangi Bay from North Harbour but caught up in Round 2 to take the lead with 10 points and plus 45 shots, while Mairangi Bay also had 10 points but plus 26 shots.
In the last round, both clubs won two of their three games but Kensington came out on top with plus 66 shots ahead of Mairangi Bay with plus 48 shots. Well done to Trish Murray (singles), Shirley James and Amy Burgess (pairs) and Lauren Mills, Jude Ganley, Glenda Norris-Palmer and Linda Brocklebank (fours) and all the best for the national finals on April 2-3.
The Kensington No2 team did not fare so well in the women's Division 1 contest, coming in with just two match points.
In the Men's Division 2, Kamo were in front after Round 1 but could not keep the pressure on losing all three of their Round 2 matches, putting them out of contention. The surprise package in this event was the Far North team from Kohukohu, who were right in contention throughout before narrowly going down by one match point.
* Top Guns firing
Some years ago, the Top Guns pairs competition held in the Far North was one of the most closely contested events around, especially when it was scheduled just prior to Superbowls and all the top Auckland bowlers would enter. With the demise of Superbowls, the tournament has languished over recent years but some good work by keen Far North administrators has seen the Top Guns back on the tournament schedule.
It took place last week in Kaitaia and the winners where a Bowls Whangarei combination of Tom Chapman and John Jamieson defeated Far North's Paul Huxtable and Peter Doreen in the final. With an entry of 26 pairs, the tournament has a long way to go to reach its former glory days but it is good to see it up and running and hopefully it will grow in stature in the coming years.
* Combos line up
With not a lot on last weekend, the major tournament was Onerahi Bowling Club's Any Combination triples. A small but even field lined up and it was a day for the ladies, with the only four winner being an all-female Kensington team of Margaret Gurney, Marie Barrett and Nola McDonald. They were clear cut winners. Second and third was extremely close with just one shot separating two local Onerahi teams. In the end, second spot went to Les Payne, Duncan Robson and Des Simons with three wins, 26 ends and 49 shots. Third place went to Ron Bowmar, Phil Adams and Danny Ilievski, also with three wins and 26 ends, but one shot less with 48. It was an enjoyable day.
* Family tradition
Meanwhile over in the West, Ruawai Bowling Club held their annual Mate Martinovich Memorial triples and the winners were two sons and a nephew of the late Mate Martinovich. Mike, Brian and Kevin Martinovich came up from Counties and combined to take away the spoils as the only four winner on the day. Second went to Te Kopuru's Brian Gribble, Clem Milich and Raewyn Seymour with three wins, 40 points and 21 ends while third went to Dargaville's Tottie Rakich, Steve Mrksch and Lew Findlay also with three wins and 40 points but a lesser number of ends with just 17 ends. The Martinovich name is well known in bowls throughout the North and it is good to see the family carrying on the tradition.
* Wilson Pairs
This Tuesday and Wednesday, Dargaville Women's Bowling Club are holding their time-honoured Wilson Pairs. The draw is:
Dargaville No. 1: M. Sandford, J. Dalton, C. Pritchard, J. Osborne, B. Smith, H. Hawkins, S. Watson, J. Smith, P. Wardell, J. Young, R. Seers, J. Ganley, S. Bramwell, C. Crawford, P. Young, S. James.
Dargaville No. 2: V. Biddles, D. Fischer, P. Davies, J. Wilson, D. Davey, S. Andrews, E. Riceman, C. Stebben, M. Wallace, D. Haslam, M. Stobie, R. McLennan, M. Church, P. Bourke, M. Rahui, D. Bough.
Arapohue: A. Radonich, D. Stewart, R. Peters, F. Berridge, J. Heatley, M. Evans, M. Walton, P. Holmes, T. Rakich, V. Jones, S. Stirling, M. Burke, J. Erceg, P. Murray, P. Lovie, R. Jellick