Grant Hassall
A strong showing in the final two rounds saw Taranaki overcome Waikato in a representative bowls fixture at Paritutu on Sunday.
After four rounds on Saturday, it was the visitors that held a slender advantage in both the men’s and women’s sections. But Revital Fertilisers Taranaki dominated the two rounds on Sunday to emerge victorious. Overall, Taranaki finished with 59 match points compared to Waikato’s 47. In both sections, Taranaki achieved two more wins than Waikato.
A feature of the fixture was the introduction of a minimum of three players with eight years or fewer experience in each side. It proved a resounding success, especially from a Taranaki perspective, with a number of the players stepping up.
Opunake’s Esther Ward-Campbell, who is commencing just her third season in bowls, achieved the highest percentage of success from the 39 players involved. She won four and drew one of her five games.
The four wins all came in the pairs, leading for Briar Atkinson, who illustrated that she will very much be at the cornerstone of the side for the season ahead. All of those victories were by resounding margins.
Atkinson claimed four matches from five overall, as did Amanda Crehan in a positive performance in the familiar surrounds of her own club.
Lesley Te Awa, Chris Commane and Bridget Fletcher all hit 50%, with the latter’s elevation to skipping over the closing three rounds noteworthy.
Taranaki’s cause had not been helped when Gale Fache withdrew prior to the event, but Irene Taunt, another third year player, didn’t disgrace herself with two wins and one draw.
While Waikato are nowhere near the force in women’s bowls as they were – they dominated the game in this country circa 1970-2010 – Taranaki’s youthful side should take confidence from the result.
The same could also be said of the men’s section, where new selector John Garrud was able to experiment with a number of positions and combinations.
Waikato’s Kevin Judson was the best performed male bowler on show, winning five from six. Three of those wins came with the 2019 Dominion singles winner Taylor Horn, who caused Taranaki plenty of strive in his four triumphs.
Nathan Goodin and Cameron Horo topped the Taranaki statistics with four wins from five respectively, while sharing in four wins from six games were Adam Collins, Darren Goodin, Craig De Faria and Steve Walker.
Results of the representative fixture between Revital Fertilisers Taranaki and Waikato at Paritutu on September 2-3:
Women, round 1: S Baldwin, I Taunt, A Quay, T Howard 12 M Wilson, M Hughes, G Dwayne, G Kawana 14; B Fletcher, L Te Awa, C Commane 9 L Mundell, V Coll, T Jakes 16; E Ward-Campbell, B Atkinson 25 J Holten, C Cox 10.
Round 2: B Fletcher, I Taunt, L Te Awa, T Howard 9 J Holten, L Mundell, G Dwayne, T Jakes 18; S Baldwin, B Atkinson 12 K Nepe, G Kawana 24; A Crehan, A Quay, C Commane 17 M Wilson, V Coll, C Cox 6.
Round 3: S Baldwin, A Quay, C Commane 11 K Nepe, J Holten, G Dwayne 17; E Ward-Campbell, B Atkinson 22 L Mundell, T Jakes 7; A Crehan, I Taunt, L Te Awa, T Howard 12 M Hughes, V Coll, C Cox, G Kawana 9.
Round 4: E Ward-Campbell, L Te Awa, C Commane 13 L Mundell, J Holten, G Kawana 13; A Crehan, B Fletcher 23 V Coll, G Dwayne 8; S Baldwin, I Taunt, A Quay, T Howard 11 K Nepe, M Wilson, T Jakes, C Cox 12.
Round 5: E Ward-Campbell, B Atkinson 33 K Nepe, G Kawana 5; A Crehan, S Baldwin, A Quay, T Howard 10 J Holten, M Hughes, G Dwayne, T Jakes 11; I Taunt, B Fletcher, C Commane 12 M Wilson, L Mundell, C Cox 12.
Round 6: A Crehan, S Baldwin, L Te Awa, C Commane 14 K Nepe, V Coll, G Dwayne, T Jakes 12; A Quay, I Taunt, B Fletcher 15 M Wilson, L Mundell, G Kawana 11; E Ward-Campbell, B Atkinson 27 J Holten, C Cox 8.
Women’s result: Revital Fertilisers Taranaki 29 Waikato 23.
Men, round 1: B Colgan, J Roberts, M Symes 12 K Judson, W Pakinga, G Cotter 15; D Goodin, C De Faria 17 W Bennett, T Horn 16; N Goodin, A Collins, C Horo, S Walker 22 R Beecroft, B Hagoort, B Barwood, G Bond 5.
Round 2: B Colgan, H Kape, S Walker, D Goodin 3 R Beecroft, K Judson, B Barwood, T Horn 14; N Goodin, A Collins, C De Faria 13 B Hagoort, W Pakinga, W Bennett 15; J Roberts, M Symes 15 G Cotter, G Bond 19.
Round 3: A Collins, H Kape 8 K Judson, G Cotter 15; C Horo, S Walker, M Symes 14 R Beecroft, W Pakinga, T Horn 19; J Roberts, B Colgan, C De Faria, D Goodin 24 B Hagoort, B Barwood, G Bond, W Bennett 5.
Round 4: J Roberts, A Collins, D Goodin 20 R Beecroft, W Pakinga, G Bond 11; H Kape, C De Faria 9 K Judson, T Horn 16; C Horo, N Goodin, S Walker, M Symes 17 B Barwood, B Hagoort, W Bennett, G Cotter 12.
Round 5: J Roberts, C Horo, D Goodin 15 R Beecroft, B Barwood, G Cotter 10; A Collins, M Symes 19 G Bond, W Bennett 11; B Colgan, N Goodin, S Walker, C De Faria 14 B Hagoort, K Judson, W Pakinga, T Horn 8.
Round 6: C Horo, C De Faria, M Symes 17 R Beecroft, W Pakinga, G Bond 7; N Goodin, A Collins, B Colgan, S Walker 14 B Hagoort, B Barwood, W Bennett, G Cotter 9; J Roberts, D Goodin 17 K Judson, T Horn 20.
Men’s result: Revital Fertilisers Taranaki30 Waikato 24.
Overall result: Revital Fertilisers Taranaki 59 Waikato 47.
Individual statistics:
Taranaki women: E Ward-Campbell 4.5/5, B Atkinson 4/5, A Crehan 4/5, B Fletcher 2.5/5, L Te Awa 2.5/5, C Commane 3/6, I Taunt 2.5/6, A Quay 2/6, T Howard 1/5, S Baldwin 1/6.
Waikato women: G Dwayne 4/6, T Jakes 4/6, K Nepe 3/5, J Holten 3.5/6, M Hughes 2/4, M Wilson 2.5/5, L Mundell 3/6, G Kawana 2.5/6, C Cox 1.5/6, V Coll 1/5.
Taranaki men: N Goodin 4/5, C Horo 4/5, A Collins 4/6, D Goodin 4/6, C De Faria 4/6, S Walker 4/6, B Colgan 3/5, J Roberts 3/6, M Symes 3/6, H Kape 0/3.
Waikato men: K Judson 5/6, T Horn 4/6, W Pakinga 3/6, G Cotter 3/6, R Beecroft 2/6, W Bennett 1/6, B Hagoort 1/6, B Barwood 1/6, G Bond 1/6.
