Taranaki needed differential to edge out Whanganui in a senior representative bowls fixture at Paritutu’s indoor complex when the pre-season encounter concluded on Sunday.
Both provinces won six games each, with three matches drawn.
That seemed an unlikely outcome after Saturday’s three rounds. Taranaki won five of those nine encounters, with two drawn. But the visitors did well to turn things around to level the ledger in Sunday’s two rounds.
In the development section, where Taranaki lent one different bowler to the visitors each round after they turned up with only eight as opposed to nine players, the hosts were dominant. Taranaki won 12 games from 15, even though selector Chris Commane used 16 players in that section, with nine of them winning all their matches, albeit none of them contested all five rounds.
Mihi Hona, Theresa Needham and Lois Debique all won four-from-four, while Michelle Warren, Shelly Clark, Colleen Hodges and Angela Debique won thrice from as many attempts.
In the seniors, veteran Kristin Stampa, who is returning to the representative scene this season after concluding a stint on the Taranaki Board, proved that she remains a top-notch competitor. Stampa won four games and was only denied a fifth win in the final round, when her and Susan Cottam were held to a 16-all draw by arguably the best combination that Whanganui could provide, Dianne Patterson and Reen Belliss. Patterson, who won the Taranaki Open fours-pairs event in January, won two and drew three during the weekend.
Gale Fache, another returning, won four out of five, as did Cindy Gray, who has established herself at this level, following up some impressive performances from last season. Face and Gray’s only defeat was in the last round, when the last delivery from Whanganui skipper, Gwen Stuart, removed Irene Taunt’s stunning shot to take the game.
Taranaki’s next representative fixture is against Waikato on September 5-6, with the men travelling to Hamilton and the women playing at Paritutu once more.
Results of the Taranaki-Whanganui representative bowls fixture held at Paritutu on August 15-16 (Taranaki names first):
Senior women, round 1: T Atkinson-Watt, S Lawn 11 A Richdale, D Patterson 18; AJ Rowlands, S Cottam, G Fache 20 T Lawson, R Irwin, R Belliss 13; M Bastin, R Davey, C Gray, K Stampa 14 T Taylor-Pope, G Stuart, J Johnson, D Wildermoth 8. Round 2: J Merrick, K Stampa 23 J Johnson, R Belliss 14; T Atkinson-Watt, S Cottam, I Taunt 17 G Stuart, T Taylor-Pope, D Patterson 17; AJ Rowlands, R Davey, C Gray, G Fache 13 T Lawson, A Richdale, R Irwin, D Wildermoth 9. Round 3: M Bastin, K Stampa 17 T Taylor-Pope, D Patterson 17; R Davey, J Merrick, S Lawn 11 A Richdale, R Irwin, D Wildermoth 21; S Cottam, C Gray, I Taunt, G Fache 23 T Lawson, J Johnson, G Stuart, R Belliss 6. Round 4: J Merrick, K Stampa 23 A Richdale, D Wildermoth 13; M Bastin, T Atkinson-Watt, S Lawn 12 G Stuart, R Irwin, D Patterson 18; AJ Rowlands, C Gray, I Taunt, G Fache 10 T Lawson, T Taylor-Pope, J Johnson, R Belliss 18. Round 5: S Cottam, K Stampa 16 D Patterson, R Belliss 16; R Davey, T Atkinson-Watt, J Merrick 11 T Taylor-Pope, J Johnson, D Wildermoth 19; AJ Rowlands, C Gray, I Taunt, G Fache 12 A Richdale, T Lawson, R Irwin, G Stuart 13. Final points: Taranaki 15 +13, Whanganui 15 -13.
Development women, round 1: A Murray, M Hona 33 A Webb, K Jaggard 5; M Warren, S Clark, T Needham 16 J Forbes*, E Everitt, R Snowden 15; C Hodges, D Chapman, S Taylor, I Taunt 14 K Peeti, M Adams, M Bishop, N Maraku 10. Round 2: L Debique, M Hona 32 A Webb, M Bishop 9; C Hodges, A Debique, T Needham 24 A Murray*, N Maraku, K Jaggard 11; M McEwen-Shepherd, J Forbes, A Quay, L Kape 9 E Everitt, M Adams, K Peeto, R Snowden 15. Round 3: M McEwen-Shepherd, A Megaw 8 L Debique, M Bishop* 21; M Warren, S Clark, A Debique 17 A Webb, N Maraku, K Jaggard 16; A Murray, D Chapman, S Taylor, L Kape 26 E Everitt, M Adams, K Peeti, R Snowden 9. Round 4: L Debique, M Hona 25 N Maraku, K Jaggard 13; C Hodges, A Megaw, T Needham 15 E Everitt, M Bishop, R Snowden 11; S Taylor, J Forbes, A Quay, L Kape 6 A Webb, M Warren*, M Bishop, K Jaggard 18. Round 5: A Megaw, M Hona 22 N Maraku, K Jaggard 11; S Clark, A Debique, A Quay 22 E Everitt, M Bishop, R Snowden 8; L Debique, J Forbes, T Needham, L Kape 26 A Webb, M McEwen-Shepherd*, M Bishop, K Jaggard 8. Final points: Taranaki 24 Whanganui 6.