Fresh off her Champion of Champions Singles win last weekend, Lisa Prideaux has claimed her 12th centre title, this time pairing with Aggie Motu to secure the Shade Systems Auckland COC Pairs crown. With their move to the Auckland Bowling Club, this dynamic duo has made a formidable impact on the women’s scene in Auckland over the past two seasons.
Going into the event as the bookies’ favourites can often come with a target on your back, and Prideaux and Motu were tested early. Their opening match saw them face the promising Mt Albert mother-daughter combo of Marisa Posa and Eva Bell, a competitive fixture ending 21-14 in favour of the favourites.
Motu and Prideaux found top gear in the following rounds, posting dominant wins, 22-9 in the quarterfinals and 23-9 in the semifinals. From the bottom half of the draw, Alison Rennie and Linda Ralph of Carlton Cornwall also looked sharp, dispatching New Lynn and Henderson before overcoming Amy Cheung and Julie Keven (St Heliers) 17-12 in a high-quality semi.
The final was a fitting clash between two of Auckland’s elite women’s front-end players—Prideaux and Ralph, and two experienced skips in Motu and Rennie. Carlton Cornwall held the edge through the middle stages, but a late surge from Auckland saw them enter the final end with a one-shot lead. Despite a strong conversion attempt by Rennie, she was unable to dislodge Auckland’s two-counting bowls, giving Prideaux and Motu a 15-12 victory.
Men’s COC Pairs: Upsets, whitewashes, and dominance
The Men’s Pairs event opened with drama in the round of 32, including a major upset as defending champion Chris Lowe (Mt Eden) was knocked out by David Prasad and Les Lagatule (Mt Wellington) 19-14.
Mark Hall and Mario Arnerich (Ōtāhuhu) continued their reputation as quiet achievers, defeating the Henderson pair Fulton & Garelja, and then the in-form Prasad & Lagatule combo before bowing out in the semifinals to the eventual winners.
Tony Grantham and Randall Watkins (Mt Albert) were clinical throughout. Their opener was a 25-4 demolition of Waiheke, followed by a much tighter battle against Balmoral’s Scott Harrison and Steve Kirwan, a duo who have increasingly featured deep in centre events of late.
Pre-tournament favourites Liam Hill and David Motu made strong early impressions with wins over Kohimarama, East Tamaki, and Glen Eden. But their journey ended in a close semifinal to the impressive Blockhouse Bay pair, Daniel Geaney and Kaarem Al-Darra.
However, the final belonged to Grantham and Watkins, who dismantled Geaney and Al-Darra in a commanding 24-4 win to claim the title for Mt Albert.
A royal break
Congratulations to Auckland Bowling Club and Mt Albert on their Champion of Champions victories.
With King’s Birthday Weekend providing a brief pause in the action, all eyes turn to the upcoming COC Triples, where Prideaux is eyeing a perfect run—she’s entered in all five COC events this year.
Still craving your bowls fix? Why not check out the Junior COC Singles, hosted by Auckland Bowling Club or join in for a right royal time at Kohimarama’s KBC@KBC
