1-5 Men’s Pairs Finals
The 1-5 Men’s Pairs saw 31 teams enter and playing across Te Atatu, New Lynn, and Mt Eden as Headquarters. 15 made it to post-section play, with many of the expected 1-5 Reps mixed with a range of up-and-coming stars looking to make a name for themselves.
It could be said the top half of the draw saw many of the ‘feature’ matches starting with the Fuller vs Bartulovich skipped combinations facing off in the round of 16… their prize, a faceoff with Steve Fisher and Carl Martin, two-thirds of the recent victorious Triples combination. Fuller vs Fisher (a repeat of the Triples final) – again went to an extra end, this time Fuller gaining the win. The third player in the winning Triples combination, Peadar MacElvanna, paired with Mike Faircloth, whose three months of experience defeated strong pairings from St Heliers and Mt Albert on their road to the semis, where they met Fuller.
The bottom half of the draw saw two victories from Howick setting up a Howick (Nicholls & Danbrook) vs Howick (Andrews & Sadgrove) clash in the quarter-final, While the Pt Chevalier (White & Ranchhod) and East Tamaki (Bos & Brack) sides took comfortable wins to meet in the round of 8. White and Andrews made their way through to the semi-finals.
At the halfway point of the semi-finals, it was shaping up to be an all Pt. Chevalier affair, with both teams holding a 10+ lead over their respective competition. MacElvanna scored big, taking two five counts, including one on the last end to secure the final, while Andrews used the next nine ends to pick away at the scoreboard, eventually gaining a one-shot lead into the end which they held for the win.
As the wind picked up, so did the Royal Oak fan club, consisting of easily a dozen clubmates supporting their Rockets! MacElvanna and Faircloth picked the change of conditions quickly, resulting in them slowly edging the margin further and further. They looked in control the whole way despite the best efforts of Andrews and Sadgrove. The final score, 20-7 was conceded after 16 of the 18 scheduled ends. Two from two this year for McElvanna and early career success for Faircloth.
1-5 Women’s Pairs Finals
A round of 16 that went more or less to expectations at Auckland Bowling Club on Sunday became a quarter-final round which ended with less-well-known players heading for the semis.
The only notable Pair to go out in the round of 16 was Carlton Cornwall’s rep duo of Jeanine Browne and Henrietta Scott, who got run down by another rep combo, Hemoata Brown and Colleen Short of Blockhouse Bay, who recovered from a slow start to get home 15-11. Several games saw one team establish a big lead only to see it vanish over the closing stages, with no game being closer than the one between Kohimarama’s Lynley Pritchard and Joanne Hutchinson, facing Howick duo Dana Taylor and Lea Hooper, which went to an extra end and a tight umpire’s measure before it fell to Kohimarama.
The quarter-finals saw most of the big names disappear, with the demise of competition favourites Nicole and Lee Singer of Royal Oak in a thriller headlining the round. Having established a lead, the Singers were gradually reeled in by the Pritchard combination who took a two-shot lead into the final end. That lead looked precarious when Lee Singer drew two inside a foot and Nicole added another to be holding the game with the skips having one bowl each to play. Pritchard played a superb draw through a tiny gap to take the second shot, which Nicole could not dislodge with her final bowl.
Another favoured combination, Carlton Cornwall’s Sarah Childs and Lisa Appleyard, were never in it against Jo Crooks and Anne Swain of St Heliers, while the other winners were Brown and Short, alongside Fila Cooper and Loa Tukuitoga of Carlton Cornwall.
The two semis were close contests with the usual attendant excitement – indeed, both finished 18-16, with the winners being Crooks over Pritchard and Tukuitoga over Browne. In each case, the winners made the better start, survived a stern mid-game challenge and picked up vital ends just as the pressure was mounting.
Both finalists played considered bowls throughout the match, their playing partner in support to counter the opposition. It was a pretty close battle, 3-3 after three ends, 8-8 after nine ends. then the duo in black and gold edged in front for the next four ends. That is until the St Heliers team picked up a 3 after the 14th, and then incrementally added points until the end. Jo Crooks and Anne Swain of St Heliers win, 16-14.
Both finals were quality matches, so congratulations to both winning teams. Well done to all players, to all those who qualified, and a massive thank you as always to our wonderful host clubs, to Weng our Convenor for the weekend, and all our umpires!
A special mention to the many club members turning up to support of their team, wearing their club uniforms with pride – they looked fantastic!
