It is one of the misfortunes of fours as a bowls team game that the often the only player who rates much of a mention is the skip of the side.
And on Saturday, as Hamish Kape’s Paritutu quartet made it back-to-back victories in the Scott Roberts Metcalfe Real Estate-sponsored men’s centre fours at Hawera Park, the value of an all-round, productive team was superbly illustrated.
While Kape had been instrumental in his side’s semifinal victory, in the final it was the cumulative drawing power of his front three – Kaylin Huwyler, Nathan Goodin and Aidan Zittersteijn – that gave Paritutu the advantage in the decider.
At the final count, Kape’s crew defeated West End’s Garry Murfitt 18-9 after 17 of the scheduled 18 ends. Murfitt’s side included Bruce Colgan, Lindsay Murfitt and Dennis Osborne.
The opening half of the game was an even contest. Murfitt took a three on the fifth end to lead 6-2, after Kape was astray with two drives. But two ends later the ledger was levelled at 6-6, with Goodin in particularly good touch.
After 10 ends, the sides could not be separated at 8-8.
But thereafter Kape’s side, aided by threes on the 12th and 14th heads, dominated proceedings.
Huwyler and Colgan had a good tussle off the front. Over the closing ends, Huwyler, a member of the senior Whanganui squad this season, was impressive to set up the Paritutu team.
Kape now has six Taranaki titles, Zittersteijn has four and both Goodin and Huwyler sit on three apiece.
In the semifinals, Kape converted and reduced on a number of ends as his side beat Hawera Park’s George Stannard, Trevor Symes, Sean Cullinan and Frank Pollock 20-14. The two teams could not be separated through 13 ends.
Murfitt’s side was in control from an early stage in the other semi, beating Hawera Park’s Gerald Hopkins, Jarrod Pettitt, Glynn Herbert and Brian Eccleshall 23-7.
Meanwhile, in the Vospers-sponsored women’s first division interclub at West End on Saturday (05/11/22), after three rounds, the points are: Paritutu 14 +29, West End 10 +13, Fitzroy 10 0, New Plymouth 8 0, Inglewood 7 +10, Opunake 5 -52.
In the Vospers-sponsored women’s second division interclub at Stratford-Avon on Saturday, West End and Paritutu lead their respective sections. After three rounds, the points are:
Black: West End 14 +32, New Plymouth 10 -4, Opunake 5 +6, Stratford/Avon 5 -5, Fitzroy 2 -29.
Amber: Paritutu 10 +27, Lepperton 10 -5, Tower 8 +7, Waitara 6 -12, Manaia 2 – 17.