158 teams face off for Moase Cup

Ian Ellen bowls for the St John club. Photo/Stuart Munro

Match convener Phyllis Jones and her team will be relieved this afternoon as the picture becomes clearer on which teams out of 158 are going to head to post section play of the massive Clubs New Zealand Men's Fours Outdoor Bowls tournament.

Co-ordinating the results from the greens of eight different bowling clubs around Wanganui where over 630 bowlers are competing, play started yesterday morning with each team trying to secure at least six wins from eight games. Everyone will play their last two-and-half hour games tomorrow, with the sides to have qualified having their first post-section match that afternoon.

Jones is predicting the field will be whittled down to around 48-50 teams by then, with the matches from that point being played on the two Wanganui East greens, which is headquarters for the tournament, and the Aramoho club green.

It will be very hectic on that Wednesday to get the top teams and the draw sorted for the post-section's 4pm start after the last qualifying games, Jones said.

"We get up to 60, if there's any more, then that will need another green again. "Friday morning we want to be on the last four [teams] of each section."

Working men's club teams from Auckland through to Invercargill and everywhere in between have made the journey to Wanganui for the tournament, which also includes a dozen local foursomes. As results started trickling in from the phonelines of Laird Park, Gonville, Aramoho and Durie Hill yesterday afternoon, it was revealed at least 19 teams had made the perfect start with two wins in their first matchups.

Among those was the Peter Belliss skipped St Johns team, which included fellow Wanganui Sports Hall of Famer Sean Johnson, Kevin Coombe and Jarad Adam. Johnson and Coombe were in the last St Johns team to win the tournament cup in 2008, along with Ray Park who was skipping the other St John team with Laurie Hocquard, Ian Ellen and Ian Hadfield.

Pausing during his team's third matchup against the Franklin club from Pukekohe, Johnson said the gathering let him catch up with a few old friends, especially those from the South Island clubs. "It's a good turnout, good for the city and good for bowls in Wanganui." The first matchups on tomorrow's post-section will decide which teams vie for the consolation Jim Dempsey Trophy, while the winners that evening will still be in contention for the Moase Cup. The cup and trophy finals will be on Friday at the Wanganui East club.