Bowling On – 28^th December

 It's a bumper time for bowls over the next month but most of the action for our leading bowlers will take place in the Taranaki.

The Bowls Nationals commence on 28 December and a complement of 34 men and 14 women will represent our Centre over the three disciplines of pairs, singles and fours. I suspect it's our best representation in 20 to 30 years. When you compare that to Wellington in 2010-11 we had only 10 bowlers over both genders.

I know the drawcard is the quality of greens that Taranaki produces and the legendary hospitality of the Clubs. A visit to a country club in Taranaki is a treat to be sure and it is something many of our bowlers are familiar with from visits to the Taranaki men's and women's open fours.

Having such a representation really increases the chances our bowlers can return with some silverware. More bowlers will qualify, by doing so some will eliminate big names and there is a chance for bowlers in form to come through to the last eight and beyond.

The strongest looking men's four is Pat Horgan (Palmerston North) skip, Philip Skoglund Jnr (Northern) three with two other Palmerston North bowlers Graeme Cooley and Ross Ellery off the front. All will play singles and also play pairs, Skoglund teaming with Ellery. That's a combination I really like the look of but in all disciplines none of the four have easy draws. To me that is a benefit as they will run right into top form if they survive section play.

In singles Ellery strikes Danny Delany and Skoglund of the North Island bowls dynasty faces Terry Scott from an equally famous family in the South. For Skoglund and Ellery the match ups continue in pairs where they face Peter Belliss and Lance Tasker. Horgan and Cooley will get a real hurry-up from Paritutu's John Reid and Darrin Goodin and Terrace End's Brian Looker and Scruff Anderson will also fancy their chances against them.

Chris Barrett has been in top form skipping teams to defeat Horgan in finals of their club triples and fours and I expect him to respond to the environment in singles play. Amongst his draw is another top flight bowler in Richard Girvan.

I would expect Robyn Schischka, Feona Sayles, Sheryn Blake, Anna Davis and Ngaire Cowen to feature well in the women's singles but once again there are some huge match-ups. Schischka faces Kaaren Guilford from Johnsonville second up and Margaret Aldrich meets both Clare McCaul and Ra Walker.

In pairs Schischka teams with ex Northern bowler Sue Way and the section will include the sister act of Davis and Jacinta Cousins along with Sayles and her partner Anne Bateman of Hikurangi. None will clash however. In the fours there are four sections and our three teams are all in section one. Sayles will play in a composite team with Bateman and two Carlton-Cornwall bowlers. Teams skipped by Davis and Schischka will clash in round two and all teams will face several local teams. I can see Blake's team of Walker, Georgie Kahui-Rogers and Julianne Mills being extra competitive.

A good tournament to look forward to and you can follow our bowlers fortunes daily on the Bowls New Zealand website.

There will only a week's break and the Taranaki Men's open will be played and we will have 14 fours there and many will have already played the Nationals. More of that tournament later.

• Bowls lost a fantastic stalwart with the recent passing of Shirley Newman. Shirley took up the game in the early 1980s and was a good enough bowler to win two centre titles but it was administration and selecting where her greatest influence was felt. She held most positions in her Terrace End Bowling club being president for some years and became a life member for her service.

Shirley spent a long time as a member of the Centre executive and was vice-president until this season and was selector for some years helping to mould the careers of many talented bowlers.

Her type of dedication is a rarity and will be hard to replace.

Good bowling in the new year.

Tony Jensen

Thanks Tony.

Don’t forget to check out our Facebook page. I have posted pictures of some of our recent Club Championship winners. http://www.facebook.com/northernbowls

Happy New Year to you all!

Update 18^th  December 2012.

Several Finals were played at Northern over the weekend. Here are a few of the Winners.

Keith won the Under 10 Year Singles

Feona won the Senior Ladies Singles

Craig won the Senior Men's Singles

Graham, Philip (Skip) Derek and Neil (Scruff) Won the Senior Men's 4's

Julianne, Jacinta, Anna and Feona (Skip) won The Senior Ladies 4's

The Senior Ladies Triples final was also played and the winning team was Chris Quinn's Team of Julie Palmer, Janeen Noble and Christine Quinn (Skip).

Congratulations!

Don’t forget!

Northern Christmas Tournament and Social night 23^rd December

Play starts 1.00pm (Names in by 11:30am) followed by Christmas Meal.

A Northern Christmas party day join in the fun Santa and Merry dress up optional otherwise Club Colours or Whites.

Names on sheet for playing and meal please.

Ladies a salad dish, Men your favourite dessert.

Update 12^th  December 2012.

Bowling On – 12th December.

The World Bowls championship in Adelaide has come and gone and while New Zealand came away goldless their performance was better than some of the commentators are suggesting.

Val Smith continues to be our leading performer coming home with silver in singles and pairs, combining with Jo Edwards in the latter event. Both finals were lost to Australia and bowls like no other sport is a game where local knowledge is a huge advantage. You only have to look back to the last Worlds in New Zealand and remember how dominant our players were at home.

The women's triple of Mandy Boyd, Lisa White and Jan Khan also won silver and there must be a bitter sweet taste in the mouth of Boyd as she finished runner-up in three events at last years Nationals. Her time will come.

Our men brought home two bronze medals with one going to Shannon McIlroy in the singles. His rise to prominence continues.  The other bronze went to the triple of Ali Forsyth, Matt Gallop and Tony Grantham. Both genders continue to struggle in the fours discipline. World Bowls returns to Christchurch in 2016 and I am confident most of this team will be still together and a lot more streetwise by then.

• Manawatu has it's biggest complement of players heading to the National tournament than for many a year. The event will be staged in Taranaki from 28 December 2012 to 09 January 2013 and it is probably the attraction of relative closeness and outstanding greens that has attracted 32 men and 14 women bowlers from our Centre. I like the look of a composite team in the fours of Pat Horgan, Graeme Cooley and Ross Ellery from Palmerston North joined by Phillip Skoglund (Northern) playing at three but they have what can only be described as a draw from hell. They start with a very competitive looking Wanganui unit comprising Phil Corney, Selwyn Prescott, Tony Waikato and Phil Carey and then will be confronted by Black Jacks Ali Forsyth and Matt Gallop complemented by Lloyd Gallop and Graham Hood. They should hold out a team of New Plymouth locals but will then play Northern's Craig Gush and Cameron Nairne who team with the outstandingly performed Ray Park from Wanganui and John Walker from Browns Bay. They should get past two local sides in the last games if they are still alive and I would expect if they qualify they will be extra competitive in post section.

In singles I suggest Chris Barrett, Gush, Horgan, Ellery, Terry Johnson, Brian Looker, Adam Johnston, Darryl Johnson, Scotty McGavin, Skoglund, Brian Schischka and Grant Simms to be good chances to qualify in the mens event while Ngaire Cowen, Anna Davis, Sheryn Blake, Chris Quinn, Robyn Schischka and Feona Sayles should similarly achieve in the women's event

I am playing all disciplines myself and really look forward to the event which will be hosted by the most hospitable Centre in the country.

• Don't forget entries close for the New Year any gender Centre Triples on Monday 17th December and for the Dragonstone five year and under 2-4-2 pairs on 24 December with 6 January being the day it is played.

• Bowls lost a real good friend this week with the passing of Dannevirke's Trevor Baker. One of those people who was always toiling at something whenever you visited the club and although before my time a great lead in his day they tell me. I'll miss him, a true gentleman and thoroughly decent man.

TONY JENSEN

Thanks Tony.

Target Bowls

This Friday, December 14.

As well as money to be won on the night there will be prizes for aggregate scores, as well as spot prizes and some other fun stuff.  $5 entry with 50% paid out to the winner on the night, 30% to second and the remainder goes towards the spot prizes and surprises. Open to all – let’s see lots of you there for this final round. You may enter at any time between 4:30 and 6:30pm. A round takes approx 40 minutes to complete. Support the club and be there!

Northern Christmas Tournament and Social night 23^rd December.

Play starts 1.00pm followed by Christmas Meal.

A Northern Christmas party day join in the fun. Santa and Merry dress up optional.

Names on sheet for playing and meal please.

Ladies a salad dish, Men your favourite dessert.

Update 29^th November 2012

 

Bowling On 27^th November.
For some time I have been concerned Bowls New Zealand is trying to mask the decline in the sport's playing numbers and a resolution passed at it's November meeting does not allay my unease in any way.

The resolution passed and circulated to all Clubs read "Increasing participation is critical to the survival and growth of the sport. Casual participation programmes and their delivery must be a key priority for the Whole of Sport Plan development. There must be transparency around the number of casual bowls programmes being held, the numbers participating and all who take part must contribute to the growth of the sport. Casual Bowls Leagues need to be part of the annual tournament approval process that Centres conduct and the Clubs holding Casual Bowls Leagues need to have details listed in Centre handbooks. A Regulation outlining the process of Registration needs to be developed as part of the Whole of Sport Plan development. All casual engagement with the sport needs to be promoted under a known brand (MIB) and a review of brands also needs to be carried out as part of the Whole of Sport development process. This exercise needs to articulate the value of operating under a known brand and the benefit it brings to all levels of the sport."

So what does all that mean? Well for my money it is all part of a plan to introduce a Bowls NZ capitation fee on casual bowlers most of whom play a version of Business House or twilight bowls. Clubs have been running these events since daylight saving was introduced in the early 1970s and their popularity has been maintained while traditional aspects of the sport have declined.

I may be overly suspicious but this suspicion is shared by many in bowls particularly the small country clubs. The last thing Bowls NZ needs is for clubs to secede from their centres and organise their own competitions. These discussions take place regularly and for those clubs containing few of what we would regard as "competitive bowlers" going alone is a real option.

I believe casual bowls tournaments are so popular because they don't dominate your entire leisure time and it is short and sweet in every way. Play a game for one and a half hours, a couple of cold ones and a sausage with your opposition and away home. Back in the 1970s there was an enormous amount of social Rugby and Cricket played and the baby boomers from that era are the ones playing casual bowls. No longer interested in competition but still loving the cameraderie. I'll be interested to see how this turns out. I may be entirely wrong in my assumptions. Read the resolution again and work it out for yourself.

• The delayed final of the Centre mixed 2-4-2 will be played at Terrace End this coming Saturday at 12-15pm and I expect it to be a cracker. Janeen Noble and Barry Wynks will be against playing through champions Sharon Sims and Mark Noble. It has everything, husband versus wife, disabled man versus disabled man and a three time world champion. Get along and see some top bowls.

At the same venue Men's Division two interclub will also be playing and it looks a contest between Palmerston North A, Johnston Park A and Terrace End. Anything could happen yet but to win it the formula is simple - win seven of your nine games and you'll take some beating.



Tony Jensen

Thanks Tony.

For those of you who may have missed Tony's column from last week the 20th of November, here it is.

Bowling On 20th November.

In spite of the unavailability of seven players the Manawatu Women's bowling team scored a hard fought but very meritorious win over Wanganui and Taranaki at their annual tournament at Hawera Park last Saturday.

It is never easy travelling and playing the same day but with furthest to travel our women were well awake and ended up with 15 points to just head off Wanganui on 14 with Taranaki on seven trailing it's visitors.

Selector Viv Lozell would be well pleased with all combinations. Janeen Noble performed extra well winning both singles and Feona Sayles will have her work cut out to reclaim her singles spot after she was unavailable for this event.

The new pair of Christine Quinn skipping and Robyn Schischka off the front looked extra good and Sheryn Blake and Mere Freyer looked right at home in the top end of the four. Who to leave out will be Lozell's quandary when she narrows to a top seven for future events.

Our men's team on the other hand was third in their two day event played at Wanganui East and featuring the same three centres but were very competitive in some disciplines. Points were Taranaki 29, Wanganui 23 and Manawatu 20 and while Taranaki were never going to lose a little extra luck could have seen Manawatu finish second.

It was a vastly improved effort from last season when Manawatu were a distant third but the real headache for selector Eric Watson is fours. The green team four of Phillip Skoglund, Graeme Cooley, Steve Toms and Ross Ellery won only one game from four and the white combination of Brian Little, Barry Wynks, Terry Curtis and Scruff Anderson had but one draw.

For some years Skoglund has carried an enormous workload in fours but no player can respond every end. For my money too few bowlers really understand the discipline required in the two bowl game. It is so different to three and four bowls where any mug can get one in the head. Not so in fours. You often hear corrupt thinking bandied about tht "if the lead is not there the whole team is off". If the lead's not there the two has a job to do and so on.

Fortunately Chris Barrett went well winning three of four singles and Scotty McGavin had a fifty percent return in the other singles spot.

Manawatu finished second in the Development competition with Mike Hodge playing outstanding bowls and Bruce Harris, Ian Lewis and Mike Bowey looking at ease at that level.

If we were marking exams we would grant an honours pass to the women but the men would receive that comment "can do better" that most of us were familiar with growing up!

• Interclub will resume this Saturday and any player at the front end of a four could well do with putting their hand up when they mark Watson in the premier grade. Palmerston North and Northern are only separated by a point and I'm not bold enough to predict who'll come out on top. Takaro and Terrace End are close enough that any team could still win but they would probably need other results to go their way. A clean sweep in any round could turn the tournament upside down.

• Manawatu Bowls has dramatically improved it's website thanks to the skills of secretary Ian Lewis. Have a look at www.bowlsmanawatu.co.nz and see what I mean. It's one of the best around.

• Congratulations to Northern's premier seven that won the Manawatu women's team prize at the recent Manawatu Sports awards. I often admire the women of this club for their club spirit. They achieve highly on the green but when you look deeper they are nearly all involved in administration, coaching, selecting and aren't too proud to front in the kitchen as well.

• Adam Johnston, Brian Looker and Clayton Simpson all played at the New Zealand Open recently and performed with credit. Johnston made the last eight in the triples while Looker and Simpson went out 12-11 in the last 32 of the pairs to the highly accomplished combination of Peter Sain and Nick Butter.

• The time Honoured National Tournament will be played in the Taranaki this season and it will be interesting to see how many Manawatu Bowlers make the relatively short journey to greens that are unmatched in the North Island. I'm taking the opportunity myself and will still return for my favourite tournament of all, the Taranaki Open.

• There are tournaments galore coming up in the next few weeks and clubs need to remember that if you expect others to support your tournaments you need to reciprocate. They need further remember that if greens are not up to scratch your visitors don't return. So get your centre books out and get on the phone and enter a tournament or two - you might even take home a prize even if it is just the raffle.

Email news to tony.jensen@aon.com


TONY JENSEN

 

Update 9th November 2012.

Bowling On 7th November

Manawatu has produced some great bowlers in the past at National level but since the retirement of Sharon Sims (MNZM) it has been lean pickings for our Centre.

Thus it was with a sense of great pleasure I have noted the selection of Sophie Fisher (Himatangi Beach) and Caitlin Thomson (Hokowhitu) in the 22 person National Under 18 squad which will be trimmed to compete in the Trans Tasman series next year. It is indeed a great fillip for those two clubs as well. There was a time that we almost took for granted national representation with the long and successful careers of Phil Skoglund (OBE), Peter Shaw, Vic Sellars, Phillip Skoglund jnr, Russell Meyer, Sims, Lyn McLean and Joyce Osborne.

I've been impressed with these two girls, they seem to have excellent natures as well as ability which is something that will serve them well in life whatever they end up doing.

 Both players were members of the Manawatu Five year and under side that won the annual tournament with Wellington, Kapiti and Wairarapa last week, the first time Manawatu has won back to back tournaments. Thomson starred with two wins and a vital draw against Wellington in the singles while the pair of Ailsa Lindsay and Glenda O'Connor were unbeaten. The 2-4-2 pair of Fisher and Tania Harris won two from three while the triple had one win and two narrow losses. Final points were Manawatu 17, Wellington 13, Kapiti 13 and Wairarapa six.

Several unavailabilities mean our women's senior team will be rebuilding this season and it remains to be seen whether selector Viv Lozell will be bold enough to thrust someone like Thomson into a team combination. Such commanding form at the singles discipline could easily transfer to a front end role.

• Selector Eric Watson has named his 14 players to compete in the Arnold Shield with Taranaki and Wanganui. The event will be played in Wanganui over the weekend of 17-18 November and Manawatu are in need of a good showing to warrant the investment that will be required to send them to the National inter centre this season. Pat Horgan was the only unavailable player.

Teams are Green; Singles Chris Barrett, Pair Craig Gush (s) and Adam Johnston, Fours Phillip Skoglund jnr (s), Graeme Cooley, Grant Davis and Ross Ellery. White; Singles Scotty McGavin, Pairs Mark Noble (s) and Neil Gordon. Fours Brian Little (s), Steve Toms, Barry Wynks (QSM), and Terry Curtis.

Two fours will also contest the development tournament between the same centres. Those selected are Grant Simms (s), Keith Hughes, Graham Black and Te Nawe Hooper-Whiti (team one), and Mike Hodge (s), Ian Lewis, Mike Bowey and Chance Hausman.

• Centre president Phil Skoglund tells me they are yet to secure funding to send our men's and women's teams to the inter centre and this was set as a pre-requisite before entering. It is to be hoped that is obtainable as players will already have to front with some funds and there is nothing worse than having to pick a team only from those who can afford it.

• Interclub was interrupted by weather on Saturday with most sections only completing one round. For me it once again brought into question the decision to begin at 10-00am instead of the traditional 9-00am start. An extra hour would have seen the second round completed. Most players are marking time for that hour anyway and besides bed is a good place to get out of - a lot of people die there!

Northern have only lost one game in women's division one and the final two rounds won't be played as they can't be headed. When you consider they also look near unassailable in Division two the lack of depth in other clubs is being dramatically exposed. In that Division Northern A have 18 points, Northern B 16 and Johnston Park with 12 the best of the rest.

It is a totally different situation in the men's contests. In Division one with 2.5 rounds to go Palmerston North lead with 12 points, Northern 11, Takaro seven and with six Terrace End not entirely out of touch. While the bottom two may struggle to win they will probably dictate the outcome by what games they take off the first two. In division two you can throw a blanket over five teams with Palmerston North A on 14, both Johnston Park teams and Terrace End 12 and Ashhurst/Te Kawau on ten well in touch.

• You will have noticed I acknowledged several players in this column by including reference to their civic honours. We need remember what contribution players have made to this and other sport.

• Northern's women's division one team has been nominated for Manawatu team of the year and Barry Wynks for disabled sportsman. Barry competes only in open competition and the only time I have seen him acknowledge his disability is when it's time to shout and extract money from his wallet! Seriously though most deserved for both.

• Keep the news coming to tony.jensen@aon.co.nz.

Tony Jensen

Thanks Tony.

Update 3rd November.

Corner to Corner Competition.

Can it get any better!! You have a chance to help with MIB (or if you are a social member play in it!). You have a chance to win some dollars with target bowls on a Friday (social and players). But now, wait, there is MORE you also have the chance to win a bottle of whiskey each week, or second place is bottle of wine and have the opportunity to win the club $3000!!!!  This competition is open to social members and players. It starts this Thursday 8^th – so get your name in on the sign-up sheet real soon. You can put your name in on the day – but best to sign up before. The competition will start 5.30, so if you want to sign up on the night please do so by 5.00pm. If you are not able to get down to the Club to sign up please email Feona onFeona.Sayles@xtra.co.nz

Update 26^th  October 2012.

Northern Women’s Division A InterClub Team chosen as a finalist in the Manawatu Sports Person of the Year Awards.

We have just been advised that the Northern Women’s Division A InterClub Team has been chosen as a finalist in the Manawatu Sports Person of the Year Awards, to be held on Friday the 9^th of November. In the Sports Team of the Year.

You are all welcome to attend.  If you are interested in attending the function and supporting our team, can you let Chris Quinn know by next Friday 2^nd of November by email at christine.quinn@pncc.govt.nz or give her a ring.

Chris will arrange for tickets so Northern people can all be together.  Tickets are $60 each and the tables seat eight people.

Details:

The awards evening will be on Friday 9 November.

Venue: Silks Lounge, Awapuni Function Centre (Racecourse Road, Palmerston North)

Time:    Doors open 6pm. (Enjoy some pre dinner drinks with the awards commencing at approximately 7pm)

Dress:   Formal (Jacket and Tie)

MC:      Scotty Stevenson

Congratulations Girls!

Update 24^th  October 2012.

Target Bowls.

Just a reminder to you all that Target Bowls which got off to such a good start will be running every Friday evening from now on until just before Christmas. If there is on-going interest and support we will have another series in the New Year. You can participate at any time between 4:30 and 6:30pm. It takes about 40 minutes to complete the 8 rinks and we will pair you up with someone if you are on your own. $5 entry for each round, with 50% of the pool paid out to the winner and 30% for second. The remaining 20% will be kept towards major prizes at the end of the competition. A cumulative record of weekly scores will be kept to determine these winners. From time to time we will have lucky number draws for those participating. There will be good prizes for these draws but you will have to be in attendance if your name is drawn. You are more than welcome to bring a non bowling friend (or two) to take part, and they will become part of the on-going totals if they attend more than once. If we have a large number of non bowlers participating on any particular night (e.g. a corporate social club) then we will run a separate competition for them.

There are two other exciting bowling competitions about to begin and we would like your support in spreading the word about these and helping us recruit participants.

Corner to Corner (sponsored by Grants Whisky)

For the first time in the Manawatu our club will be running this nationwide event which carries a NZ title and promises to be a lot of fun. This is open to all bowlers and we are hoping for a strong participation from Northern members. This weekly competition is to be run on Monday evenings beginning on November 05 and running for 6 consecutive weeks. Further information is to follow – please check e-mails and information to be posted at the club.

Mates in Bowls

We begin our 4^th year of MIB on Wednesday November 7^th. The success of MIB relies on the number of teams that are entered. We need your help to get information and sign up forms to people who you think would like to play and could get a team of three together. Information and sign up sheets are on the long table in front of the main notice-board. Who do you know that might like to give bowls a go – workmates, family, neighbours, friends. Please help us make this another successful MIB season for both the participants and our club by encouraging teams to enter.

Contact President Chris or any Executive member for further information.

Centre Open Mixed 2x4x2

Labour weekend saw the first of the Centre competitions with the Open Mixed 2x4x2 being played on our greens.

The weather on Saturday was pretty good but it went downhill from there.

The Final  between Barry Wynks and Sharon Sims was not played on Monday due to the conditions and will be played at some other time yet to be decided.

Below are a couple of pics from the event.

Update 15^th  October 2012.

Tony Jensen’s - Bowling On 15^th  October 2012.

Some columns are easy to write and virtually write themselves but it is with a heavy heart I pen this report.

The reason for such angst is the sudden and untimely passing of a good friend and bowls stalwart Bob Williams. Bob loved his sport having been a better than average cricketer and took to the game of bowls like the proverbial duck to water when he took it up about 25 years ago. Bob achieved his fifth Manawatu Centre title to achieve the coveted gold star when he won the champion of champion pairs leading for Chris Barrett last season.

A regular rep player through the years Bob never gave an inch on the green and was never beaten till it was all over. He was a versatile player, one of the few who could comfortably fill any of the positions in a team game. It was not only as a player that Bob excelled, he was a most able administrator and served as president of his Palmerston North Club.

He had a vision for the future of the sport and we often discussed his frustration that the Club Palmerston amalgamation had not properly come to fruition as originally envisioned. Bob often forwarded me news snippets for this column and as a professional news hound was always on the lookout for a story. In recent years Bob had shared employment between the Rugby Museum and publicity responsibilities for the Manawatu District Council. On learning of his passing workmates at the Council decorated his workstation with a lawn bowl and the colours of his beloved Taranaki. Let us not forget that Bob was first and foremost a family man and it was while he was mowing lawns for daughter Megan that Bob suffered the turn that took him from us. Our thoughts are with wife Kay and children Megan and Matt. We will all miss him dearly.

• I played the inaugural Rescue Helicopter tournament at Palmerston North last Sunday and it was a top day of competitive bowls but the real joy was watching approximately $4000 being raised for such a worthy cause. For the record the winning team was Kevin Suisted's team of Mere Fryer, Julie-anne Mills and Derek McKee. In second place was Lindsay Toms, Paul Rowe, Alan Morley and Dean Gilshnan. It was very appropriate Paul was part of it as he was the architect of the tournament and worked tirelessly on sponsorship. Other four winners were Terry Rossiter, Terry Curtis, John Osborne and Laurie Gordon in third place.

• Labour Weekend sees the commencement of the Centre's season with the Spec Savers 2-4-2 mixed pairs being contested at Northern. A very pleasing 42 teams have entered, up from 26 last season. Leading the field are two ex World champions in Peter Belliss from Aramaho and Sharon Sims. Sharon won the title last season and will again partner Mark Noble. Belliss plays with uncommonly promising junior Sophie Fisher and they don't look to have a daunting draw. The same is true for Sims and Noble but the Rogers husband and wife combination of Shane and Georgie face top combinations right through. They will meet both Phil and Phillip Skoglund and  Feona Sayles. Only eight teams will qualify for post section and in theory a team could win all six games and not qualify. I don't expect that will happen but there could well be disappointed 5 winners. The advantage is it will be cut throat till the end.

• After Saturday's qualifying Peter Belliss will give an address on life in bowls and all are welcome. Play is expected to finish about 4-45pm and a gold coin donation bar-b-que will precede Peter's address which should commence by 5-30pm. I will be sorry to miss his address, he remains a great sportsman.

• I ask clubs to email me their Division One Interclub teams during this week so I can preview the event. Email news to tony.jensen@aon.co.nz.

Tony Jensen

Thanks Tony.

BOWLS MANAWATU
SPECSAVERS OPEN MIXED 2x4x2 PAIRS
20^th 21^st,22^nd OCTOBER

Click on the image to read!

Update 12^th October 2012.

For those of you who couldn’t make it here are a couple of moments from last evenings Civic Honour Awards Ceremony.

(N.B. Click on the items for a larger display.)