Paritutu

Paritutu life member Don Christensen added to his illustrious bowls career when he claimed his 15th Taranaki title at Pihama in a nail-biting conclusion on Saturday.

Christensen won the Cross Country Rentals-sponsored Taranaki mixed pairs title with clubmate and cousin Cheryll Sharrock. But it was oh so close, with the duo needing an extra end to pip Adam Collins and Cathy Andrews, also from Paritutu, 11-10 in the final.

Christensen had an excellent final, his delivery immaculate, and with Sharrock led 8-1 through seven of the 16 ends. Collins drove the jack into the ditch on the next end to take a brace and with it the momentum. He and Andrews took the lead for the first time on the 15th end at 10-9.

But Christensen drew a winner on the last to force the game into overtime. He repeated the dose on the extra end, drawing a side toucher with his first bowl.

Sharrock moved the jack latter in the head towards her own bowl, which made the recovery for Collins or Andrews even more difficult.

In the end it was full honours to Christensen, in achieving his milestone, and Sharrock, with her maiden win. It was also third-time lucky for the duo, having twice previously lost the final together.

In the semifinals, Christensen and Sharrock beat Fitzroy’s Ron and Maree Gadsby 17-8, while Collins and Andrews beat West End’s Bruce Hall and Leanne Halls 21-8.

Christensen began his bowls at Kaponga, before moving to Hawera Park and then Avon.

It was from the latter club that he won his first Taranaki crown in the Christmas pairs on Boxing Day 1995.

The following season he transferred to Paritutu where his next 14 titles have been secured – the Open fours (1997 and 2024), the champion-of-champions fours (1997), the champion-of-champions pairs (1999, 2009 and 2015), the champion-of-champions singles (2003), the New Year fours (2001), the champion-of-champions triples (2004 and 2013), the Christmas pairs again (2009), and the open triples (2022 and 2023).

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Paritutu, with an unblemished record, emphatically defended the Summerset men’s division one interclub title. The third round was abandoned early, with Paritutu on seven wins and Fitzroy next best on three wins and one draw. The winning Paritutu side was Dean Elgar, Collins, Darren Goodin, John Zittersteijn, Kurt Smith, Daryl Read and Camron Horo.

Paritutu also won the Vospers women’s division two title. The winning squad was Sharrock, Alesha Quay, Barbara Harvey, June Gledhill, Amanda Crehan, Val Keightley, Kileigh Barber, Marlene McArthur and Jocelyn Stevenson.

The men’s division two title went to West End after it beat New Plymouth 3-0 in the final. The West End side comprised Steve Temperton, Blair Clark, Norm Broughton, Lindsay Murfitt, John Dickinson, Martin Dravitzki, John Sexton and Paul Darbyshire.

Bruce Chapman, Jeff Ward, Todd Curtis, Lee Broughton, Chris O’Dea, Barny Barnard, Jonty Linn, Malcolm Scott and Kewene Ratahi won the division three title for Tower.

In the popular Q Transport-sponsored junior interclub, it was a home victory for Lepperton’s Chris Ropitini, Shelley Baldwin, Matt Smith and Mike Baldwin. They scored a 19-4 win in the final over Paritutu’s Craig Atkinson, Jimmy Seed, Keith Brown and Rhys Hood. It was the second time the Baldwins have won the John Murtagh Trophy, having also been victorious two seasons ago.

For the first time ever, the Greenkeeper of the Year has in 2024 been awarded to a greenkeeping team, rather than a single greenkeeping individual.

The team of Mike Walsh, Don Christensen, Ian Andrews and Aidan Zittersteijn has not only produced outstanding greens at the Paritutu Bowling Club, but has also been influential in outstanding greens being produced across Taranaki … this last year, and in previous years.

Of course the touted quality of a green triggers much debate in the bowling community, and there are as many different opinions about greens as there are bowlers in the community.

But what can’t be debated is the fact that this last year, the Paritutu Bowling Club was the headquarters for four of New Zealand’s largest annual tournaments : the Taranaki Men’s Open Fours and the Taranaki Women’s Open Fours in January, and the National Open Fours and the National Open Mixed Pairs in February.

The greens must have something going for them!

And whilst sumptuous cheese rolls and lamingtons are welcome exigencies to earn the privilege to headquarter such prestigious tournaments, it is the greens that need to be spectacular … the many, many eyes of the players, the umpires, the spectators and the television cameras are critically scrutinising every blade of maniototo.

The greens were spectacular at Paritutu for all four tournaments.  And in fact they were spectacular all season. So mature is the leaf that when the club hosted the Para nationals in November there was no long-term damage to the surface.

“The greenkeeping team at Paritutu has challenged current thinking,” says Grant Hassall, President of Bowls Taranaki.  “They produced a quick green when the season opened last October, and the green was still playing quick more than six months later in April.  Traditional thinking would have you believe you can’t keep a green in that form for that long.”

Grant points to the ‘team’ approach to greenkeeping at Paritutu as maybe the key.

“With teamwork,” continues Grant. “They can share their knowledge and their experience … acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses … and delegate and allocate accordingly.  It’s been a great prototype, or a reminder to show other clubs in New Zealand an alternative way to manage greens.”

“But the really great thing about this greens team is that they see the bigger picture … it’s not just about doing the best for Paritutu … but the best for clubs around the Taranaki Centre.  And they’ve made themselves available to consult at other Taranaki clubs like Waimea, Waitara, Inglewood, West End and New Plymouth.”

“The team is thinking about the game of bowls New Zealand-wide, not just their own patch at Paritutu.”

Grant credits the team with being influential in creating the best greens in the country in Taranaki.  And frankly, you’d have to be a brave bowler (or a one-eyed bowler from elsewhere) to dispute the pre-eminence of the greens in the province.

Most bowlers are very envious.

“Sure, we’ve got the climate and the volcanic soil which are both conducive to maintaining great greens.  But the gamechanger happened twenty-odd years ago when the majority of Taranaki clubs started changing from cotula greens to maniototo greens.” There had been less than a handful prior to this.

“Before then, there were many Centres In New Zealand with much better greens than Taranaki.”

“Now with the right climate, the right soil, the right weed, and the right greenkeeping team like Mike, Don, Ian and Aidan, natural greens will continue to have a great future in Taranaki.”

And that’s fantastic.

Sometimes you can’t help feeling that we’re ‘succumbing’ to artificial greens.  So it’s great to see the Paritutu team fighting back!

Well done Mike, Don, Ian and Aidan.  And congratulations on being Bowls New Zealand’s Greenkeeping Team of the Year in 2024.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual Awards held at The Devon Hotel. Congratulations to all the Award Winners and we look forward to next season.

Club of the Year – Paritutu Bowling Club

Male player of the year (determined by points) – Kaylin Huwyler (Paritutu Bowling Club).

Female player of the year – Briar Atkinson (Paritutu Bowling Club).

Youth Player of the Year – Briar Atkinson (Paritutu Bowling Club).

Umpire of the year – David Brunton (Fitzroy Bowling Club- New Plymouth).

Coach of the year – Vickie Kelly (Fitzroy Bowling Club- New Plymouth).

Greenkeeper of the year – Wayne Robinson (Oakura Bowling Club).

Administrator of the year – Fiona Liddall (Okato Bowling Club).

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

Will Johnston

One of the region’s largest bowling clubs is inviting registrations to commemorate its 100th jubilee.

New Plymouth’s Paritutu Bowling Club will mark this significant milestone over Easter Weekend this year. The schedule includes a mixture of social and bowling events across the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

A centenary dinner is scheduled for Saturday night, featuring broadcasters and guest speakers John McBeth and Grant Nisbett. Nisbett is a familiar face at the Taranaki Open, while McBeth has commentated at numerous bowling events, including World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Centenary committee member Trevor Keightley said registration can be completed in various ways.

“Individuals can pick up a registration form at the club, or find all the details on our website,” he said.

Much has evolved at the Calvert Road site since its inception in 1924. Discussions about drink prices dominated committee meetings in earlier years. In 1968, cigarettes and soft drinks were priced at 30 cents and five cents, respectively. Two years later, soft drinks increased to 10 cents, with a three-cent refund on bottles.

Further deliberations occurred in 1973 and 1977, with the price of a cup of tea set at 15 cents during weekdays and 20 cents at other times.

One of the most noticeable transformations was the expansion of the clubrooms and the development of the indoor stadium, completed in April 1997. This addition has proven invaluable for the club and its governing body, Bowls Taranaki, often serving as a venue for major events impacted by wet weather.

The club stands as a premier venue for the men’s and women’s Taranaki Open, and it’s one of many Taranaki clubs set to host the upcoming Dominion Fours event organized by Bowls New Zealand.

Keightley remarked that hosting such significant tournaments outside major centers is rare, but the club has demonstrated its ability to manage large events.

 “The Nationals will be no different from the Open.”

In another significant move for the club, the men’s and ladies’ clubs merged in the 2008/09 season.

Paritutu has enjoyed its share of success over the years, including a recent victory in January when its quartet of Don Christensen, Rodger Hassall, Dean Elgar, and skip Darren Goodin claimed the title at the 119th Taranaki men’s Open fours, fittingly held at their home club.

Pihama and Manaia bowling clubs are also set to celebrate their 125th jubilees this year.

Pihama will host a tournament on Saturday, May 4, while Manaia will hold a men’s fours event on Taranaki Anniversary weekend, with the ladies’ event on Saturday, April 15.

Keightley emphasised the importance of collaborating with other clubs to prevent scheduling conflicts during their respective celebrations.

Courtesy of Sports News Taranaki: https://sportsnewstaranaki.co.nz/news-article?id=1655

Mike Walsh is the greenkeeper at Paritutu Bowling Club which will be the headquarters for the New Zealand championships for fours and mixed pairs from Thursday.
LISA BURD/STUFF

Every morning 80-year-old Mike Walsh hops on his bike and cycles 100 metres down the road to his second home, Paritutu Bowling Club.

Walsh is the New Plymouth-based club’s greenkeeper, a role he takes seriously, arriving at 6.30am each day.

“I watch all the games, I watch the people, I don’t like people ripping our green up with their shoes.

“I’ve made people change their shoes.”

Keeping the greens in tip-top shape is a job Mike Walsh takes seriously.
LISA BURD/STUFF

It’s been a busy month for Walsh as the club hosted the Taranaki Open Fours tournament in January and will be home to the National Fours and Mixed Pairs tournament starting Thursday.

It takes 2000 steps to mow the green and Walsh aims to have it at a speed of 17 seconds, which means it takes the ball 17 seconds to get from one side to the other.

Walsh, who won the Taranaki Open tournament with his team in 1993, waters the greens every night for 3 minutes, then the sprinklers are set for 12 minutes at 1am as that’s the coldest time of the night, and he fertilises them every three weeks.

“People see the green but don’t see the time that goes into it.”

The greens are normally mown three times a week, but come tournament time, they’re done every day.

Some days Mike Walsh is on the job until 10pm.
LISA BURD/STUFF

“We take a lot of pride in our greens and I’ve got 180 members to answer to.”

Walsh, who has no lawn of his own at home, said Paritutu Bowling Club is considered one of the best greens in the country.

His first stint at the club was in the 1990s. He then came back upon returning from Australia twelve years ago.

“The greens were shocking. The chap that was doing them asked for a hand and I said ‘as long as you do it my way’.”

Walsh has stepped back somewhat this year after having open heart surgery, but he still oversees everything the other keepers do, calling himself the greens superintendent.

LISA BURD/STUFF

Mike Walsh is a bowler himself and his team won the Taranaki Open tournament in 1993.
The time Walsh spends maintaining the green sees him there until 10pm some days.

When asked if he had a partner who may object to this kind of dedication away from home, Walsh proudly declared he’d been married for 61 years.

“She understands my commitment down here, she’s a bowler herself,” he said.

“The other greens she goes to aren’t up to the same standard, but not many are up to this standard.”

Article courtesy of www.stuff.co.nz – https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350187241/paritutus-walsh-master-art-greenkeeping by Stephanie Ockhuysen, February 22, 2024

Monday, Jan 22 2024

Grant Hassall

The Paritutu quartet of Don Christensen, Rodger Hassall, Dean Elgar and skip Darren Goodin have been crowned the winners of the 119th Midlands Funds Management Taranaki men’s Open fours.

They defeated the Stokes Valley side of John Brien, Corey Brookes, Robbie Bird and skip Caleb Hope 22-16 in what was a tense final at Paritutu yesterday afternoon.

The tenseness was evident, sometimes in the play, and certainly through the score.

While Goodin did lead 6-2 after five ends, it was 7-all after 10 heads. Hope nosed in front 11-8.

Goodin took six points over the next five ends, although one point was a little fortunate as Hope, holding two shots, slid off a wide bowl and narrowly moved the jack.

The momentum was with Paritutu, leading 14-11, and with Christensen and Hassall putting more bowls around the head.

The 19th end was a beauty. Great play from the Stokes Valley side saw them holding three shots. Elgar superbly drove off all three bowls. Goodin held four. Bird drew third shot. But Goodin added in two more to increase the count to four.

However, Hope crucially drew the shot. He repeated the dose on the next end when three down. There was only one point in the match now.

The tension levels rose.

Goodin took a single on the 21st and then, when two down, played a good bowl to get shot on the 22nd. But Hope cleverly clipped it off to score a three and reclaim the lead 16-15.

However, the Stokes Valley side failed to get close on the next two ends, two threes to Paritutu giving them a five-shot lead at the commencement of the last end.

The last head, lacking in quality, had plenty of interest, with Hope holding two and a measure on the change-over.

Hope didn’t like his chances on the measure and elected to try and push off Christensen’s bowl. Goodin then sewed it up by drawing the shot. Yes, he got a slide in the process, but he would still have drawn the second shot if he had had a free run to the jack. That left Hope with the tough task of trying to kill the head, but Paritutu still had one shot and the championship.

The victory was Elgar’s first Open title in a glittering career, while it was a second win in the event for Christensen, Hassall and Goodin.

The Paritutu quartet of Don Christensen, Rodger Hassall, Dean Elgar and skip Darren Goodin have been crowned the winners of the 119th Midlands Funds Management Taranaki men’s Open fours.

They defeated the Stokes Valley side of John Brien, Corey Brookes, Robbie Bird and skip Caleb Hope 22-16 in what was a tense final at Paritutu yesterday afternoon.

The tenseness was evident, sometimes in the play, and certainly through the score.

While Goodin did lead 6-2 after five ends, it was 7-all after 10 heads. Hope nosed in front 11-8.

Goodin took six points over the next five ends, although one point was a little fortunate as Hope, holding two shots, slid off a wide bowl and narrowly moved the jack.

The momentum was with Paritutu, leading 14-11, and with Christensen and Hassall putting more bowls around the head.

The  19th end was a beauty. Great play from the Stokes Valley side saw them holding three shots. Elgar superbly drove off all three bowls. Goodin held four. Bird drew third shot. But Goodin added in two more to increase the count to four.

However, Hope crucially drew the shot. He repeated the dose on the next end when three down. There was only one point in the match now.

The tension levels rose.

Goodin took a single on the 21st and then, when two down, played a good bowl to get shot on the 22nd. But Hope cleverly clipped it off to score a three and reclaim the lead 16-15.

However, the Stokes Valley side failed to get close on the next two ends, two threes to Paritutu giving them a five-shot lead at the commencement of the last end.

The last head, lacking in quality, had plenty of interest, with Hope holding two and a measure on the change-over.

Hope didn’t like his chances on the measure and elected to try and push off Christensen’s bowl. Goodin then sewed it up by drawing the shot. Yes, he got a slide in the process, but he would still have drawn the second shot if he had had a free run to the jack. That left Hope with the tough task of trying to kill the head, but Paritutu still had one shot and the championship.

The victory was Elgar’s first Open title in a glittering career, while it was a second win in the event for Christensen, Hassall and Goodin.

PAIRS WIN TO AUCKLANDERS: Brendon Walton, left, and Adam Blucher, representing the Te Atatu Peninsular club, held off a stern late challenge from Bannockburn’s Alan Rickard and Hugh Andrews to take out the New Plymouth Club-sponsored pairs event 19-17 at Paritutu yesterday.

Blucher and Walton led 16-6 after 14 ends and appeared in control.

But Andrews, the skip, and Rickard pulled back a five and a three to tighten the game up. The deficit was only one playing the last end. Rickard held the shot but Blucher trailed the jack to sew up the game.

In the semifinals, Blucher and Walton again withstood a late comeback to beat Garth Lyne and Cary Pinker (Wanganui East) 15-13. Rickard and Andrews  beat the Darfield pair of Bob Shorter and Ash Paul 22-8 in the other semi.