The Taranaki women’s open triples bowls final will be an all-Paritutu affair.
Experienced, nationally-renown performers Cathy Andrews and Heather Johns both successfully skipped their teams into the final of the Abraham’s-sponsored event at West End on Sunday.
The delayed final will occur on March 13 at the same location.
Andrews has the same team that won the champion-of-champions title in October – Bridget Fletcher and Barbara Batley.
They were 22-15 victors over Lepperton’s Briar Atkinson, Tina Quilter and skip Tina Atkinson-Watt in one semifinal.
Johns won the triples two seasons ago. Her team this time comprises Marie Mummery and Marlene Barrowman. They sneaked through a tense semifinal 15-14 over West End’s Colleen Martin, Molly Nagle and Jan Johnson, but only after an extra end.
The men’s open triples, sponsored by Clegg’s Funeral Services, will also be finalised on March 13, after the 38 entries were reduced to four at Hawera Park over the weekend.
The semifinals will see Bruce Phillips (Tower) play Adam Collins (Oakura) while Dean Elgar and Craig De Faria will square off in an all-West End clash.
Phillips won the title last season skipping a West End side of Glen Brookes and Dave Wilson. But with Brookes unavailable this time because of a family wedding, Phillips is skipping two of the runners-up from 2020 – Mark Kuklinski and John Roberts.
They ended the terrific, spectacular run of Rahotu’s Gavyn Horo, Nathan Goodin and Camron Horo 19-6 in the quarterfinals.
Collins, skipping Aidan Zittersteijn and Kurt Smith, advanced 21-19 over Paul Darbyshire (West End). The leading of Zittersteijn, who recently joined Oakura but also remains a member of Paritutu, proved the difference.
Elgar skips Wilson and Steve Walker. They comfortably defeated Opunake’s Rodney Woods 29-9 in the last eight.
De Faria, who is teamed with Steve Temperton and Dennis Osborne, ousted Opunake’s Paddy Deegan 22-9 in the same round.
Meanwhile, the Revital Fertilisers Taranaki representative teams for the New Zealand Intercentre in Wellington on March 18-21 have been released.
The women’s side sees Chris Commane play the singles – she won three from five in the recent Octagonal – while the pair is Sue Winter and Anne Duggan. Not surprisingly, selector Janice Ropitini has maintained her unbeaten four of Anne Brophy, Susan Cottam, Rhonda Adams and Trish Howard. Anne Potaka is the eighth player.
In the men’s, Darren Goodin will play the singles, with Daryl Read and Hamish Kape the pair. The four is Gerry O’Sullivan, Aidan Zittersteijn, Steve Walker and Dean Elgar. John Garrud will travel as the eighth player. Craig De Faria had been originally selected in that position, but withdrew because of work commitments.