Ian Lewis

by Grant Hassall
Sue Hodges’ Omokoroa quartet of Karen Pickering, Rachelle Morrison and Ruth Lynch have run out comfortable winners in the final of the 72nd Devon Hotel Taranaki women’s Open fours.

Hodges’ side defeated the Thames Coast team of Molly Galloway, Deborah Gainfort, Val Mathews and skip Kaye Bunn 30-15 in a rain-interrupted final.

The Omokoroa side settled into its work much quicker in the final, a four on the second end giving the side some confidence. That became even more pronounced on the 6th head when Hodges took a six when the Thames Valley quartet failed to get close and the Omokoroa side packed them in a perfect group down the centre line of the rink.

A three on the next to Hodges took the score to 15-4.

But Bunn replied with three successive singles, making it 15-7 after 10 ends at the morning tea adjournment. The margin could have been even greater, though.

Hodges held four shots on both the 9th and 10th ends, before superb Bunn bowls took the point.

A three on the 14th head to Bunn, as the drizzle became a little thicker, brought the score to 17-11. It was game on.

But the momentum movement went with Hodges. Her side took two fours in a row, plus a brace, to make it 27-11 after 17 ends.

It was at that junction, with the green starting to pool , that play was moved indoors.

Only singles were scored on the resumption, three to Hodges and two to Bunn, making it 30-13 after 22 ends.

Bunn then held a good five on the 23rd, before Hodges, with her last delivery, drew one just behind the jack. Bunn attacked, hitting a short bowl onto the counter, to give her side two. But with a differential of 15 and only two ends to make that up, Bunn conceded.

On the day there was no denying that the better side won. They placed more bowls around the head and that was ultimately reflected in the large counts which went their way. Three fours and a six were clearly the difference.

The victory for Hodges was even more sweeter given it contained Mother-and-daughter duo (Lynch and Morrison).

While there was natural disappointment for Bunn’s team, they took the defeat graciously. The gritty skip, who only returned to bowls four years ago, in fact won her 11th Thames Valley title in the open singles on the Sunday prior to the Taranaki tournament commencing. Bunn also won a Waikato champion-of-champions fours a generation ago.

 Terry McAlary, of the Marlin Coast club just north of Carins, and Sue Brady, of the Pine Rivers club in Brisbane, have become the first holders of The Margaret Cole Trophy after they posted a nail-biting 22-18 victory in The Devon Hotel Taranaki women’s Open fours-pairs event at Paritutu yesterday.

There was much doubt in the result of the final, right up to the last bowl on the last end, after two junior players representing the Tower club in Hawera, Alethea Rowlands and Irene Taunt, staged a brilliant comeback in the final.

The Australian pair were in superb touch on Saturday and they continued that in the early stages of the final, despite the move back to the natural Maniototo surface.

They opened with a three and a five on the first two ends. Their domination continued to such an extent that after 13 ends, it had become 20-5.

That was when the run of Rowlands and Taunt commenced, just as the light drizzle began. Immediately, they took a three, followed by a four. Four successive singles were then added, before a two on the penultimate head, made the score 20-18. On the last end, Rowlands got handy with her first bowl. But McAlary bettered that. Brady added a second to secure the win.

Taranaki bowls legend, Margaret Cole, Black Jack number 20, was on hand to present the cup bearing her name, which was made possible through the generosity of Kevin Gray.

The Draw for The Devon Hotel Women’s Open Fours Post Section Play and for the Pairs Tournament is available.

Click here for the draw: Devon Hotel Women’s Open Fours Post Section Draw
Click here for the draw: Devon Hotel Women’s Fours Pairs Tournament

Play in the Fours Post Section is at Paritutu starting at 9am
Play in the Pairs Tournament is at West End starting at 8.45am

Weather Update: The Devon Hotel Taranaki Women’s Open Fours

7.00am Weather Update: All greens are clear and are being prepared for play as scheduled. All players to report for Opening at 8.45am and Start play at 9.00am.

Sunday, Jan 21 2024

Grant Hassall

Stokes Valley’s Caleb Hope and his side emerged from a spectacular quarterfinal with a one-point victory in the 119th Midlands Funds Management Taranaki men’s Open fours at Paritutu yesterday.

In a game many observers rated as worthy of a final, Hope skipped his side of John Brien, Corey Brookes and Robbie Bird to a nerveracking 25-24 win against West End’s Craig De Faria.

The win secured Hope a semifinal berth this morning against Birkenhead’s Chad Nathan. The other semi is an all-Taranaki affair between Tower’s Scott Roberts and Paritutu’s Darren Goodin.

The Hope-De Faria match finished at 7.55pm, which was not altogether unreasonable, given an hour’s play had been lost because of rain mid-morning and the clash itself did not start until after 3pm.

De Faria’s side of Jordan Linn, Dave Wilson and Steve Walker led 10-5 after six ends. But then the trend of one team dominating scoring for a period kicked in.

Hope went ahead 16-10 through 12 ends; De Faria hit back to get in front 20-17 after 18 heads; then it became 20-all. Hope took a three-shot buffer into the last end. Brien and Linn, who had an intriguing battle, both got close.

West End held two, before Bird drew the jack. Walker, with an excellent hit, killed the end.

On the replay, Linn drew two good ‘uns. Bird was in the vicinity twice, his second bowl just falling short of one of Linn’s counters.

Both Wilson and Walker had handy bowls. At the change-over it was uncertain whether De Faria held two, three or four. Neither skip altered the head.

The measures came out and Bird and Walker, both having had turns, agreed that the count was only two.

And so it was Stokes Valley’s match.

The bowling achievements of both Hope and Bird have been documented previously during the week. Brien, a past Wellington Open fours winner, appeals as a traditional specialist lead. No 2 Brookes is Brien’s cousin. They have played together in the tournament multiple times.

Brookes, an eighth-year player at West End, is a Taranaki under-eights rep. Nathan’s Birkenhead side of his father Peter at lead, David Payne at second — both have previously won the North Harbour singles — and wily Evan Thomas at No 3, have the potential to keep Hope honest this morning.

Their 26-8 quarterfinal win ended the dream run of the Mt Albert side of Leon George, Jim Gray and Nathan Haturini and skip Steve Ramsay.

It was all pretty much one-way traffic. Nathan led 12-3 after seven ends, then 20-4 after 12.

Roberts, playing with Mark Kuklinski, John Roberts and Kelly Hill, eliminated Neville Hill (Onehunga & Districts) 22-17.

Remarkably, a five on the first end proved the difference according to the card. No more than a three was scored on any other head.

But the more accurate story was two-fold. Hill’s side of Davey Motu, Mike Bradshaw and Liam Hill — how many 14-year-olds have ever played No 3 in a Taranaki Open quarterfinal? — recovered from 10-6 down to 15-12 in front after 16 ends.

On a long head, which saw Motu draw the jack, Neville Hill, with his last delivery, rolled out the closest Tower bowl to hold four. Roberts, though, is a pressure player. He drew a pearler for one.

Thereafter, the Tower side drew closer and while Neville Hill often reduced the count, Roberts cribbed home with singles on each of the last six ends.

In the remaining quarterfinal, Goodin and his side of Don Christensen, Rodger Hassall and Dean Elgar somehow found a way to win 23- 21 over the Bulls team of Warren Hausman, Mark Smith, Scotty McGavin and skip Trevor Belk.

Goodin led 13-8 after 11 ends and held a reasonable three until Belk rolled in one of his own bowls for shot.

The momentum swung with it. Belk surged in front 21-17 after 22 ends. Goodin pulled back two singles but was in deep trouble when McGavin drew the jack for shot on the last end.

Goodin, however, found a path to the bowl, clipping it off to hold two shots. Belk hit another Paritutu bowl in.

Goodin drew another. Reaching through the head, Belk narrowly slipped under the jack, touching nothing for a frustrating loss.

In the third-round games that finished earlier in the afternoon, De Faria’s match with Garry Muriwai (Martinborough) was the closest and longest.

De Faria sneaked through 21-20, having led by three shots playing the last end. Muriwai twice held five-shot buffers midgame, but four ends in a row to De Faria had his side 18-14 in front after 20 ends.

Muriwai levelled with three to go, but a two and a single gave De Faria just enough space. Thomas had a tense clash with Darren Scott (West End), leading just 16-14 after 16, before pulling away.

 Hope got a flyer against Mark Anderson (Tower), leading 12-1. That break was decisive in Hope’s 24-14 win. Roberts got past Dan Delany (Royal Oak) 24- 18.

Delany had led 13-8 after 12 ends and the scores were 18-all after 21 heads. Belk overturned a 10-7 deficit in beating Nigel Drew (Birkenhead) 24-18.

The other round three matches were all decided by relatively comfortable margins. Goodin beat Peter Nixon (Sunshine Coast) 25-12, Hill ousted Phil Morgan (Te Puke) 25-12, and Ramsay a 31-17 victor over Colin Boyle (Carlton-Cornwall).

*Four visiting teams will dispute the New Plymouth Club-sponsored Taranaki Open fours-pairs event following three post section rounds at Vogeltown yesterday.

Allan Rickard and Hugh Andrews (Bannockburn), who were runners-up in the pairs two years ago, meet Bob Shorter and Ash Paul (Darfield) in one semifinal today.

The other semi is between Brendon Walton, who was runner-up in the fours last year, and Adam Blucher (Te Atatu Peninsular) against Wanganui East’s Garth Lyne and Cary Pinker. Pinker won the pairs in 2014.

The pairs will be played at Paritutu today, too.

We would like to welcome you all to come and join us for Finals Day for the Midlands Funds Management Taranaki Men’s Open Fours. Come and join us as we celebrate the end of the Men’s Open and look forward to The Devon Hotel’s Women’s Open Fours.

Semi-finals start at 9am and the Final is due to start at 2pm. The New Plymouth Club sponsored Pairs will also be completed throughout the day at the Paritutu Greens. Food and Drink available all day. So come on down and take in the action.

Play in the Midlands Funds Management Taranaki Men’s Open Fours and New Plymouth Club Open Fours Pairs continues on Saturday.

Fours – 9.00am Start at Paritutu – Draw
Pairs – 8.45am Start at Vogeltown – Draw

Grant Hassall 

Bowls can be a great game and a cruel game. Just ask Tauranga’s Dan Dickison.

The accomplished player experienced the best of the Midlands Funds Management Taranaki men’s Open fours when he won the event in 2021.

But yesterday his more than useful team felt the despair of defeat when they missed qualification by the narrowest of margins. They entered the day with four wins and a one -point loss. In their first attempt to gain win No 5, Dickison led fellow four-winner Gerry O’Sullivan (Inglewood) 23-20 playing the last end.

But the Inglewood boys plonked them around the jack to snatch a four and a one point win.

In the afternoon, playing another four-winner, Colin Boyle (Carlton Cornwall), Dickison’s side went to an extra end.

There Boyle rolled up one of his own team’s bowls to take the match 19-18. There was plenty of heartbreak elsewhere, too, with just 52 team qualifying.

Rewa’s Dave McNeal needed his last match to also qualify. Playing Barrie Johnstone (Katikati), who had lost the lot until then, McNeal’s team toiled valiantly.

But Johnstone had one of those games where whatever he did, he got a result, denying McNeal 19-17.

Pt Chevalier’s John Petelo, needing his last game, surged ahead 23-17 after 20 ends against Takapuna’s Simon Poppleton.

But Poppleton, despite losing his qualifying chances in the morning, battled on, forcing and then winning the extra end to eliminate Petelo.

The 2005 champion, Ray Park (Wanganui), won twice to advance. He looked safe leading Gavin Crow (Vogeltown) 23-9 after 17 ends.

Crow then produced eight unanswered points, before a four sealed Park’s 27-17 victory. Dan Delany (Royal Oak) needed the full quota of rounds to qualify, after his side was belted 22-6 by Phill Chisholm (Mairangi Bay) in the morning.

That forced Delany into a must-win seventh round against six-winner Peter Nixon (Sunshine Coast).

 Delany appeared to be cruising after 16 ends, with a 19-7 lead. But then Nixon commenced his run, levelling the scores and forcing an extra end.

But Delany took a two to qualify 22-20. After only one win from the first two days, Mike Oldfield (Tauranga South) completed the transformation, winning the next four to qualify.

The last effort was a good one, 21-14 over Graeme Fulford (Havelock North).

Maurice Symes (Fitzroy) had a similar story, winning five in succession after he lost the opening two games.

The 77-year-old former New Zealand rep remains a determined competitor. Section three became the group of death, with just two teams surviving — Mike Reddy (Kaitaia) and Anton Ferrari (Naenae).

In the morning’s feature game, Reddy took the safest path by beating Ferrari 26-21.

Heading into the last round, five teams sat on four wins.

Only Ferrari managed to win, beating fellow four-winner Bob Shorter (Darfield) 25-20.

Eric Foreman (Fitzroy) and David Ball (Carlton Cornwall) both fell one point short and Steve Cottam (Paritutu) was just four shots adrift of Reddy at the end.

Even though the qualification criteria this year was reduced by one game, due to Monday’s rain, the elation and frustration remain just as pronounced.

Draws for Friday Play in the Midlands Funds Management Taranaki Men’s Open Fours

Men’s Open Fours Post Section Draw All teams start at 9.00am
Men’s Open Fours Pairs Draw All pairs start at 8.45am

Good luck to everyone involved.

Wednesday, Jan 17 2024 – Grant Hassall

Grant Hassall

While there was uniform delight at the clear skies the appeared so impressively on the second’s play in the 119th Midlands Funds Management Taranaki men’s Open fours yesterday, by early afternoon there were many wishing the overcast conditions from Monday would return.

The heat certainly took its toll and those not keeping up with the liquid intake found concentration much more difficult.

As expected, there was a wide cross section of results, with many guns surging ahead and others faltering.

Overnight the analysis is that of the 166 teams taking part, 29 have won the lot so far, 52 sides sit on two wins and 58 quartets have had just one victory. That means that 27 teams are dreaming about the pairs or next season.

Two of the more prominent skips in the latter category are Peter Dorreen (Far North RSA) and Garry Petersen (Wanganui East). Both are successful gold star recipients in their home centres and have featured in past Opens. But such is the nature of the game and the event.

Among the visitors to enjoy the heat and the well-running Paritutu front green yesterday afternoon was Mt Albert’s Steve Ramsay.

Ramsay’s team, after a win on Monday, was not in the hunt in the morning’s round, being thumped 30-8 by Birkenhead’s Nigel Drew.

The Aucklanders were therefore looking down the barrel in the afternoon with a clash against Stokes Valley’s Caleb Hope. But Ramsay and co righted the ship to score an impressive and important 22-16 victory. Drew, following Monday’s narrower victory over Hawera Park’s Mark Dudley, made it two impressive wins for the day by later beating two-winner Robin Pierce (Katikati) 29-10.

Drew presents a well-balanced side with specialist front men Mark Rumble and Brian Wilson joined by rising prospect Daymon Pierson.

Hope’s side includes Robbie Bird, who in his relatively short time in the game has already tasted success in the 2021 NZ champion-of-champions singles and twice in the NZ intercentre.

They finished the day on two wins.

After a near perfect performance on Monday, win No 2 came 25-22 over Dudley in the morning, after the boys from the capital had led by one shot at the commencement of the 25th end.