It was rather fitting that the “Winter Quad” began on a frosty morning beneath Mount Te Aroha at Tūī Park Bowling Club. Opening the bus doors to a fresh, zero-degree morning was quite the shock to the system, enough to wake even the sleepiest among the early-morning commuters.

Playing on a surprisingly well-prepared maniototo surface in July, albeit with scrims down, the opening round foreshadowed the level of competition that was to follow. The Auckland men opened against hosts Thames Valley, picking up two draws, a win, and a loss, while the women shared the points with Waikato, winning the Singles and Pairs, and Auckland taking the Fours and Triples.

After lunch, the frost lifted and provided a brief respite for players before the wind picked up during the second round. The women lifted their game against Thames Valley, highlighted by a stunning comeback Singles victory from Lilly Wesche, who, in the face of defeat, found a second gear and clawed back end after end to win 20-19. A draw in the Fours and a Pairs win saw the women claim a 5-3 victory, securing the Auckland vs Thames Valley head-to-head shield, last played for in 2003.

The men also recorded a 5-3 win over Counties Manukau, with the Men’s Pairs drawing their second match of the day, while the Fours and Triples picked up important wins.

Heading into the final round, it really was anyone’s event. In the closing stages, Lilly had just dropped the Singles, and all other rinks were down on the board. It was not looking great for the Auckland women. Then, from nowhere, the Triples scored a six to draw level with one end to play, the Pairs picked up back-to-back fours to go three ahead playing the last, and the Fours, already locked in a close contest, closed out their match to secure a 6-2 win. However, an impressive 8-0 final-round result from the Waikato women saw them finish top of the women’s table.

The men made several changes in the final round and, with only a one-point lead and second equal right behind, the side needed a strong showing against a favoured Waikato side. Phil Garrett stepped into the Singles role and fought hard, unfortunately dropping a three while locked at 18-all. The Pairs and Fours dominated with impressive scorelines, earning valuable differentials, while the Waikato Triples responded strongly, undoing some of that hard work. This meant both men’s matches finished drawn at 4-4, with Auckland securing the men’s title by just that one second-round point. It was incredibly tight, with only two points separating the entire men’s field.

Overall, Auckland defended the Battle of the Bombay’s title, finishing on 28 rink points and +26 differential, just ahead of Waikato on 27 rink points and +52. Counties Manukau claimed bronze with 22 points, while Thames Valley finished a valiant fourth on 19.

A massive thank you to Katy for doing all the driving, Pub Charity for their support in funding the bus, and Tūī Park Bowling Club for hosting the event.

A special thank you also goes to Team Manager Robyn Fisher, who has now completed her time with the squad. Robyn was presented with a card and gift box during the presentation on Saturday, as well as a pounamu taonga by Head Coach Robyn Reihana during the awards luncheon on Sunday.

Best wishes, Robyn. You will be missed.