Players flock to Taranaki for Open Fours Bowls competition

Players enjoyed a day of bowls at the Stratford Avon Bowling Club on Wednesday.

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Caption: Players enjoyed a day of bowls at the Stratford Avon Bowling Club on Wednesday.
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Caption: Denis Leighton from the Paritutu Bowling Club.
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Caption: Craig Nutt from the Waimea Bowling Club.
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Caption: Gordon Brown from New Plymouth Bowling Club.
Byline: Alyssa Smith

Bowls players flocked to Taranaki for the 117th annual Taranaki Men's Open Fours competition.

The Stratford Avon Bowling Club green was used for the competition, with bowling action taking place at the club from January 17 to 20.

Craig Nutt from the Waimea Bowling Club.

A total of 158 teams took part in the competition, and Bowls Taranaki president Ian Andrews says the competition was rated one of the best by participants.

He says they were blessed by splendid weather, immaculate greens, superb hospitality and plenty of quality bowls.

"We were very fortunate that all the stars just seemed to align for us. We were all done and dusted on Sunday night, under the orange traffic light system, thankfully."

Denis Leighton from the Paritutu Bowling Club.

The title went to West End's Jordan Linn, Dave Wilson, Steve Walker and Craig De Faria, who replicated their 2019 triumph.

In the final, at Paritutu, they beat a Whangarei side of Steve Smith, George Lyddiard, Paul Wightman and Trevor Reader 28-6.

Greens were used predominantly in New Plymouth, but also in Ōakura, Lepperton, Inglewood and Stratford.

"The success of the tournament is the engagement that it has with the community. Most people in Taranaki know someone playing in it. A huge number of volunteers had contributed to the great success of the event and Stratford-Avon have done themselves proud once again."

Gordon Brown from New Plymouth Bowling Club.

In fact, high praise was heaped upon the Stratford-Avon green, so astutely tended to by Rex Hodgetts and his team. It was the quickest of any used in the event as illustrated on the opening day's play which did not conclude until 7.40pm.

Teams needed to win six games from eight to qualify, tough criteria but part of the attraction of the Open.

There were three teams from the Stratford-Avon club in the competition.

Chris Hall's team of Duncan Matthews, Cliff Smith and Irwin van Pelt was the pick of them. They managed four wins from seven rounds. That included a 29-27 win over Ross Thorn (Naenae), a Wellington gold star holder and the Dominion fours winner in 2006.