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.