West End’s Dean Elgar and Paritutu’s Darren Goodin have had many top games against one another over the years.
But Monday’s final in the Taranaki men’s open singles would have to take the cake.
The duo, along with Craig De Faria, have dominated men’s singles in Taranaki bowls over the past 20 years.
And that was easy to understand why when Elgar and Goodin went point-for-point in the final of Janko Computers-sponsored event. Elgar got the glory, 21-20, but the abiding memory will be of the quality of the encounter.
It was, undoubtedly, the most intense, accurate clash between the two and those same adjectives would also apply to men’s open singles finales in the province.
Elgar’s victory gave him his seventh open singles title and his 17th in total. But at no point did he ever feel comfortable of victory, in the match that was played inside at Paritutu, after heavy rain at lunchtime saw the final transferred.
While both players scored a four each, no one was able to string a succession of ends together, such was the quality of the opponent.
That was best exemplified on the 26th end. Goodin had taken a two on the previous head – falling marginally short with his last bowl to miss victory – to lead 20-19.
On the 26th, three of the first four bowls were touchers. Goodin then ran the jack into the ditch, although was a little frustrated that the jack partially shaded off an Elgar bowl. Goodin still had shot, about 1m away. Elgar drew the shot, Goodin bettered it, and then Elgar, with his last, glanced off his third bowl to roll in to make it 20-all.
Goodin killed the next end. On the replay, Elgar drew close with his first, which remained the shot throughout.
In the semifinals at Oakura, Elgar came from 14-11 down to beat Paul Howell (Inglewood) 21-15, while Goodin accounted for Bruce Lilley (West End) 21-8.
Meanwhile, in the Jean Sandel-sponsored women’s open singles, which was also finalised inside, Paritutu’s Briar Atkinson beat Fitzroy’s Val Symes 21-9 in the decider.
It was Atkinson’s first open singles crown and third gold-star qualifying point. But assuming she sticks with Taranaki bowls, the calculators will be required within the next 30 years.
Symes led 5-0 early in the final, but by the time she scored, Atkinson had raced through to 10. That trend continued over the subsequent heads, with Atkinson drawing most consistently.
In the semifinals, at West End, Atkinson beat Susan Cottam (West End0 21-16, while Symes edged Gale Fache (Paritutu) 21-18.