Wednesday, Aug 21 2024
Grant Hassall
There was no gold but plenty of meritorious performances from Taranaki bowlers at the recent New Zealand champion-of-champions finals.
Competing against the majority of the other 26 centres in eight of the nine events, Taranaki players returned with medals in four disciplines.
The best efforts were two runner-up placings in the men’s triples and fours, both of which were finalised in Auckland.
In the fours, the Tower side of the Anderson brothers, Brendan, Mark and skip Grant, plus Kevin Hills, were nosed out in a nail-biting final 13-12 by regular Taranaki Open fours competitor Frankie Lim (Pukekohe). The scores had been even playing the last end.
Paritutu’s Kevan Sellers and the father-and-son duo of Piripi and Kaylin Huwyler also compiled an impressive run in the triples. They lost the final to a Takaro (Palmerston North) side headed by Tim Hook 17-10, after trailing by three shots with three ends to play.
The ageless Maurice Symes (Fitzroy, pictured right) also gave an excellent account of himself in the men’s singles, 43 years after first competing in the event, claiming a bronze medal. His effort was replicated by the Paritutu women’s triple of Jackie Moeahu, Tina Atkinson-Watt and Briar Atkinson.
The same trio, plus Alesha Quay, also qualified in the women’s fours.
Atkinson forewent the women’s singles, instead competing in a six-team under-26 pairs event in Singapore. She finished runner-up in one of the two competitions with Christchurch’s Olivia Mancer.
Meanwhile the first Taranaki representative teams for the new season have been named. Taranaki meet Waikato at Frankton Junction on August 31 and September 1.
Both the men’s and women’s squads, comprising 10 players each, are required to include a minimum of three players with eight years or fewer experience.
Women’s selector Don Christensen has named seven such players in his side which excludes an unavailable Atkinson.
Men’s selector John Garrud has included Fitzroy’s Mark Hawken and Evan Jones and Manaia’s Stephen Fevre, winner of last season’s first year singles.
Teams: women, Jackie Moeahu, Irene Taunt, Alethea Rowlands, Rita Davey, Leeane Halls, Amanda Crehan, Gale Fache, Tina Atkinson-Watt, Angela Debique and Esther Ward-Campbell; men, Craig De Faria, Steve Walker, Darren Goodin, Steve Temperton, Kurt Smith, Maurice Symes, Steve Sabine, Stephen Fevre, Mark Hawken and Evan Jones.