Not many would have had New Lynn in their black book for the triples, but by the end of the weekend, all eyes were on the New Lynn men’s side, and for good reason. Freddie Te Whare, Karl Kelsall and Willie Lee produced three major upset victories on their way to claiming the men’s title.
Their run began at home on Saturday morning with wins over Mt Eden and St Heliers, before the challenge lifted against Mt Albert, who had already accounted for Mt Wellington and Onehunga & Districts. New Lynn stepped up, creating an exciting semi-final against Auckland Bowling Club.
Auckland BC started well and opened a small early lead, but a costly drive from Adam Haywood shifted the match, handing New Lynn a five, the lead, and a clear lift in spirit. From there, Te Whare and Kelsall built strong heads and held their own against Auckland’s representative Motu and Hill combination. Two down, playing the last end, the shot changed several times before Willie Lee was left needing to touch the jack and move it just an inch to make two. After playing his first bowl wide of the target, he trusted the green, tightened his line, and played it to perfection.
In the final against Te Atatū, it was a similar story. Strongly built heads by the front-end players gave both skips a platform to test each other. New Lynn’s resilience again shone through, including a crucial recovery on the replayed final end after it had been killed while holding three shots.
Maraetai created a special moment, recording the club’s first Champ of Champs victory in any discipline with a 23–14 win over Mt Wellington before losing to Kohimarama in the quarter-final. Kohimarama also produced one of the club’s stronger COC performances in recent years, reaching the semi-finals before falling to eventual champions Carlton Cornwall. The established Carlton Cornwall trio of Estelle Hickey, Linda Ralph and Helen Blick showed their class on Sunday morning, defeating Kohimarama 22–6 to earn their place in the final. Auckland BC joined them after finishing strongly against Grey Lynn to win 23–19.
The final was a game of three phases. Carlton Cornwall shot out early, Auckland fought back to level the match, but Carlton found another gear to close it out 24–11.
With the triples titles now decided, attention turns to the final chapter of the Shade Systems Champ of Champs Series, the Mixed Pairs, this weekend at New Lynn. One of the most entertaining events on the calendar, it always attracts a crowd. After a series already packed with standout performances, and a few timely reminders that reputation only carries you so far, the stage is set for one last weekend of pressure bowls, proud club colours and Champ of Champs drama.
