Bowls: Twins stay focused to snatch pairs title

Wanganui's Warrick and Cary Pinker won the national club pairs title in Dunedin on Tuesday by playing their best games together as a pair. Photo/File

Try as sportsmen might, when they reach the championship game or the key match, often the best they can hope for is good consistency, rather than perfection.

But Wanganui's Pinker twins hit one such purple patch at the crucial moment in the Bowls NZ National Club Championship Pairs on Tuesday, lifting the national title with two shutouts in their final games.

Playing the other four regional qualifiers inside on the artificial surface at Dunedin's Westpac Bowls Stadium, Warwick and Cary Pinker had a good start on Monday by beating the Mount Maunganui pair 19-14 and then Nelson 20-8.

However, they dropped their third round match against Mangere (Auckland) 18-12, which put them in a must-win position against the unbeaten Kaikorai (Dunedin) pair.

By Cary Pinker's estimation, he and Warwick have never been better than in their 20-10 victory - it wasn't even that the South Islanders played some bad bowls, but from the first frame onwards the Pinkers were in control.

"We knew if we won our last two, we had a bigger points differential than everybody else," said Cary Pinker.

"I just don't think we've been that focused before.

"We played so well, I don't think anyone would have beaten us. I've got to give credit to my brother, he was outstanding as lead."

With three teams still a mathematical chance of the title in the final round, the Pinkers made it theirs by beating Masterton 26-14, the highest score of the tournament.

They had no sooner walked off the green than leading Wanganui bowler Sean Johnson was texting congratulations, while Cary was the first to call mum and dad with the good news.

The twins had dedicated their victory to friend Bruce Shranka, who died of leukemia in January, while giving thanks to Bill Gannon and the late Billy Green for helping them become the bowlers they have.

"This season, and last season, we haven't lost a pairs tournament all year. We're thrilled," said Cary Pinker.

Sympathetic employers Fulton Hogan, their Wanganui Bowling Club, and Des Sorensen were also thanked for their assistance in getting the twins to Dunedin.

In the women's pairs, the Wanganui team of Sadie Head and Maria Klitscher were not as successful, being unable to get a victory while the Hinuera (Waikato) pair claimed the title after going through unbeaten.