Lawn Bowls

Monday, Apr 08 2024

Grant Hassall

Two bold efforts netted two bronze medals for Paritutu in the New Zealand interclub bowls finals in Auckland on Sunday.

Both the men’s and women’s sides had enjoyed successful competitions on Friday and Saturday, securing positions in the semifinals on Sunday morning.

But that was where it ended, with the men falling 2-1 to Gore and the women losing 3-0 to Invercargill.

The two Southland clubs were in turn beaten by Auckland, in the men’s final, and Carlton Cornwall, in the women’s decider.

Singles player Dean Elgar went through with five-straight wins in section play, before dropping his two post section games, the semifinal 21-13 to Sheldon Bagrie-Howley. Adam Collins and Darren Goodin won three in section play and the quarterfinal, but fell 18-15 to Craig Tinker and Craig Merrilees in the last four.

The Paritutu four of John Zittersteijn, Kurt Smith, Camron Horo and Aidan Zittersteijn, after four victories in section play, won both knockout games to complete an excellent tournament.

In the women’s, Paritutu won two of its four head-to-head matches in qualifying, advancing to the knockout stage after winning six of the 12 individual games. Briar Atkinson took three wins from four in the singles, Amanda Crehan and Bridget Fletcher won twice in the pairs and the four of Alesha Quay, Tina Atkinson-Watt, Barbara Harvey and Gale Fache had one win.

Atkinson led the charge in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Stoke, winning the singles 21-12. After the pairs had been trounced 25-4, the Paritutu four secured the tie with a 14-10 victory. Paritutu had a sniff in all three games in the semis but lost the lot.

Meanwhile, there was a terrific result in the Bowls3five regional playoff at Hawera Park on Sunday for the New Plymouth trio of Sharleen Healey, Michael Healey and Laurence Hori.

The team met Aramoho’s Reen Belliss, Keith Slight and Peter Belliss, the Whanganui winners. New Plymouth took the first set 5-4 and Aramoho the second 3-2, meaning it all came down to a one-end tiebreaker. New Plymouth took two shots on the deciding end to secure its position in the New Zealand finals which will be held in Wellington on May 3-5.

On the local scene, both the Fitzroy/Stratford-Avon under-10s 2-4-2 pairs and the Okato men’s fours attracted maximum fields of 32 sides each for the two-day tournaments.

Overall honours in the under-10s event went to Fitzroy’s Ian Dawson and Evan Jones while the popular winners of the Okato event were Emmett Fleming, Jonty Linn, Steve Walker and Jordan Linn (West End).

Courtesy of https://sportsnewstaranaki.co.nz/news-article?id=1702

Grant Hassall

Paritutu will look to top off their centennial celebrations when the club competes in the New Zealand interclub finals in Auckland.

The event, for both men and women, brings the provincial winners to compete for the big prize, which has twice been won by Paritutu women and once by Paritutu men. It starts on Friday.

The women’s side will fancy its chances of advancing through its section. A top two finish is required and with only five in its pool, Paritutu look a strong prospect. They will compete against co-favourites Carlton Cornwall, along with Havelock North, Blenheim and Waimate.

Briar Atkinson plays the pairs, with Amanda Crehan and Bridget Fletcher the pair. The four is Alesha Quay, Tina Atkinson-Watt, Barbara Harvey and skip Gale Fache, with Jackie Moeahu the eighth player.

The chances of the men advancing appear less likely although there is certainly enough talent to do so. They are in what appears to be an even group with all of the teams comprising a number of representative players.

Paritutu will meet Ngongotaha, Taieri, Timaru’s West End, Naenae and Thames Coast.

Dean Elgar plays the singles, with Adam Collins leading in the pairs for Darren Goodin. Aidan Zittersteijn skips the four with his father John leading. Kurt Smith and Camron Horo complete a competitive unit.

Meanwhile, Paritutu’s centenary celebrations over Easter weekend were well received by all of those in attendance, including the dinner on Saturday night where Grant Nisbett and John McBeth kept the guests well entertained.

The men’s and women’s one-day events on Saturday, while somewhat disappointing in numbers, produced some exciting results.

The women’s section was won by four of Paritutu’s 14 female gold star holders – Marlene Barrowman, Heather Johns, Barbara Batley and skip Cathy Andrews.

Second went to Fache, from Val Keightley and Anne Duggan.

There was a boilover in the men’s event, where overall honours went to a Paritutu team of James Carter, Eddie Betts, Trevor Knowsley and Paul Howell.

Howell continued his excellent touch, following his recent open triples triumph, but it was a big moment for the other three – and a just reward.

Retired lawyer Knowsley is a midweek selector, Betts authored Paritutu’s centennial publication, while the loveable Carter, nigh on 90 years, has for many years been the epitome of participation.

Noel Probyn, Maurice Symes and Elgar shared the minor placings on Howell’s green.

The other men’s green was won by Steve Muller, from Brian Baldwin – back from the Gold Coast with Gary Mounsey for the event – Bowls NZ president Piripi Huwyler and Kevin Crawford.

Fache took out the main prize in Sunday’s mixed drawn fours, combining with Heather White, Allan Sanger and Trevor Keightley.

The other prizes went to teams skipped by Rodger Hassall, John Honeyfield, Andrews, Baldwin and Gloria Shaw.

by Grant Hassall

Briar Atkinson is now officially rated the best under-21 bowler in the country.

The Paritutu player won the national age-grade title, in mixed company, at the Naenae greens in Hutt Valley on Sunday.

It follows a spectacular last 12 months, with many distinctions including the NZ women’s champion-of-champions singles in July.

But just as the case was in her Taranaki Open singles triumph earlier in the month, Atkinson had to grind out victories. It showed a clear ability, again, to win tight, important matches – an excellent attribute for any champion sportsperson.

In the final, Atkinson defeated Canterbury’s Braeden Casware 21-17. After an even opening, Casware edged in front 13-11 and then 17-15. Atkinson dominated the scoring after that, finishing with two braces and two singles to claim the title. It was Casware’s first loss of the weekend, having won his prior six matches.

Atkinson beat Wellington’s Jordan Keene 21-19 in the semifinals and Auckland’s Lee Warburton 21-17 in the prior round.

Rahotu’s Nathan Goodin claimed a bronze medal. He was edged out 21-20 by Casware in the semifinals.

Earlier, in section play, Goodin qualified second from his pool, after four wins from five games. Atkinson, who was also in the same section, lost to both Keene and Goodin, before turning the tables in post section.

Meanwhile the richest bowls event in the province was won by a Fitzroy quartet at the weekend.

The annual Waitoa Beer-sponsored Tower 10,000 proved popular once more with a capacity 32 teams taking part.

The winning team was Lesley Te Awa, Maree Gadsby, Ron Gadsby and Grant Pease. West End’s Garry Murfitt was second with Tower’s Grant Anderson third.

It was Pease’s second big win in Hawera during the week. On Wednesday, at Hawera Park, a composite side of Pease, John Gray, Paul Matheson and Bryce Robins, representing the Coronation Hotel in Eltham, won the three-day north island Licence Victualers Association tournament.

Courtesy of Sports News Taranaki: https://sportsnewstaranaki.co.nz/news-article?id=1685