Update 10^th December  2013.

Congratulations to those of you who have been successful in the Club Champs so far.

There have been some very trying playing conditions recently.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year.

Bowling On 10^th Dec 2013

Manawatu Bowls interclub has all but come and gone for another season and yet again Northern has shown it has all the playing strength.

Northern won Division One Men's and women's and added Division Two women's for good measure. They won't get Division Two men's though which still has one round to go owing to the poor programming. The only two teams that don't have to turn up for the last round are Northern and Johnston Park B who were due to play each other with neither able to win the event.

I hate saying "I told you so" but this scribe commented before the competition started that it was crazy playing two rounds on the first and second days and programming three rounds for the last day. Inevitably it was the last day when rain interruptions occurred. Three rounds on day one and two and it would be all over. It's a matter that for some reason the Centre doesn't want to see sense on.

Now it is all over I am still wondering what has been achieved in combining Division One with Wanganui. Both centres will still send their own team onto regional finals and there is the possible scenario that a Manawatu team could have scored more points against the other Manawatu sides than the winner but doesn't go through because of games against Wanganui. I don't think that has occurred but the fact remains it could and that would not be right.

If the experiment to combine is to be meaningful then it should be a true combining and only one team from the two centres would proceed to regionals. That would put steel into the contest. As it stands all it has added is a couple of expensive bus trips.

• Because of the way the season has been constructed most clubs will be nearing completion of all their championships. Champion of champion events will be played through February so for the average bowler there will only be open tournaments to look forward to after mid- January. There are some good open tournaments on offer during March and April and with a bit of hard work. on marketing clubs should be able to attract full fields.

• It might sound a way off but start thinking about your teams for the annual Hospice tournament on 01 March and don't be afraid to drop any items you might want to give to the auction or raffles into the Northern club. I'm sure that every club has reason to thank the Hospice and this is payback day.

• Johnston Park are again running their very successful pre-Taranaki men's fours tournament on 11 and 12 January and it is the only chance in the Manawatu for you to pay a 25 end game of fours. For me fours remains the blue ribbon event in bowls and no greater test than 25 ends. If you have never tried it give it a go.

• Clubs will be welcoming the general public to twilight bowls tournaments in the new year. Your chance to "have a go" without any commitment

That's it from me. Bowling On has played it's last end.

TONY JENSEN

Thanks Tony.

Update 27^th  November  2013.

Congratulations to the Northern Ladies Team of Jacinta, Carol and Lynlea,    Chris, Joan, Julie and Tania with Manager Mae on winning  Division Two Interclub.

Good luck in the Regional Finals.

Bowling On – 27th November 

I expected reaction last week to my provocative column but the surprising thing is most all reaction has come from non bowlers and other organisations and sports.

The general tenet has been that the comments in regards to bowls in the Manawatu can equally be applied in many other sports and other organisations such as service clubs when using the sames introspection.

Several bowlers have contacted me and all were in agreement with the diagnosis. Is it too late to change? I believe it is as changes need to be so radical that the rank and file of the game would not countenance the quantum shifts needed.

Anyway enough of that and back to the current season's happenings. Two divisions of Manawatu interclub have been completed and as expected Northern are the women's Division Two champions and will proceed to regional finals. Bulls rattled home with 14 points but with 18 points in total were still five adrift of Northern when the last round finished prematurely.

In men's division three Palmerston North A didn't need to complete the final round either and on 22 points were well clear of Himatangi Beach and Northern with 16 apiece.

It's a lay week for interclub again this weekend before all other divisions complete three rounds on Saturday 7 December and with the division one teams at home there will effectively be a round robin Manawatu competition. With 18 points there for the taking on the day I wouldn't discount any Club including Palmerston North which currently languishes eight points behind Northern. A clean sweep first up and it could be all on.

Each season Men's division two provides the closest competition and it is very much that way again. Palmerston North's two sides, Johnston Park and Ashhurst/Bulls are always in the mix but this year it is Takaro that is in front by a clear four points. In the first two rounds they meet Palmerston North B and Johnston Park A so their destiny will be dictated by their own performance. I won't nominate any winners as I'm sick of eating humble pie whenever I do!

The final division to be decided is The Any Gender fourth and that looks as though Shannon or Dannevirke will prevail.

• I've entered the Men's Open Pairs the Centre is running from 2 January 2014 and I have to say I have often thought there was a good opportunity for Manawatu to run an open event at this time. I'm looking forward to it.

• The Standard publishing a file photo of Chris Barrett last week with the late Laurie Gordon alongside and it was a poignant reminder of what bowls lost last season with the untimely deaths of Gordon, Bob Williams and Fran Frith who were all aged in their mid sixties. Sure there were other bowlers who passed on but the comparative youth and outstanding abilities of this trio made the losses felt so much more.

TONY JENSEN

Thanks Tony.

Update 21^st November  2013.

Congratulations Northern on once again winning the Te Raki cup challenge against Takaro. We can look forward to a rematch in May next year.

Good luck with Interclub this weekend.

Farewell to my old Mate and Skip, Noel. You will be missed. Rest in peace and enjoy your time on the big ole bowling green in the sky.

 Noel with Lindsay - Closing day 2012 - 2013 season - 12 May.

Bowling On - 21^st November  

As we near the halfway mark for the Bowling season it is an appropriate time to review the health of the game.

After a thorough examination including CT scan, ultra-sound, Xray and MRI I am afraid Dr Tony has no option but to conclude "Terminally ill" and little chance of surviving another 20 years. If you don't believe me here are some numbers. The Ladies will please forgive me for dealing only with men's playing numbers but when I pulled out the 1990-91 season handbook it was a reminder that Apartheid was removed in South Africa before our two genders could see their way clear to work together in bowls.

That book told me that at that time 1992 men played the game in the Manawatu  compared to the 542 who do so today. In fact the 1450 that have disappeared represent nearly three times those who remain in the game. I hunted out the 1996-97 handbook next (still in the era of Bowls version of Apartheid) to see there were 1594 playing then so the decline had commenced but there were still more than a thousand more in the game than today. It doesn't surprise me that the decline started in this period as New Zealand changed forever with the advent in 1990 of almost unrestricted weekend shopping.

For you information membership by club in 1990-91 and today follows. I have bracketed clubs that have amalgamated and placed an asterisk beside those that are defunct;

Ashhurst       38        12

Bulls              43        29

Dannevirke  197        29

Feilding)

Oroua   )       242       69

Foxton  )

Foxton Bch)  194       28

Hokowhitu    172       33

Himatangi       -          21

Kairanga        24*

Kimbolton      32        17

Manawatu      98*

Northern      195        52

Pahiatua         90        11

Palm Nth      213       110

Shannon        70        18

Takaro          135       38

Te Kawau       36          9

Terrace End  154        49

Woodville       59         17

TOTAL.          1992      542

The figures speak for themselves thus my health assessment is pretty accurate.  Among the reasons for the change are;

1. The game takes too long

2. Weekend Shopping

3. The game takes too long

4. Weekend work

5. The game takes too long

6. Change in our ethnicity

7. The game takes too long

8. Poor administration at all levels

9. The game takes too long

10. The game does not lend itself to TV.

And by the way the game takes too long! The "taking too long" has many forms. For instance the Centre Open Singles were played on 12 and 13 October 2013 and then the final was held over. Here we are at the end of November and it still hasn't been played. Imagine a game of League going to Golden Boot and you hold that part over for six weeks. Or you play the US Open and hold the playoff over and don't bother setting a date.

Tournaments take too long in both length of game and duration. There is little or no restriction on time wasting and that aspect is demonstrably worse than it was 20 years ago. "Posers" will wander nonchalantly to the head, walk round it three times, walk halfway back to the mat, return for one more lap of the head then go back and play a nothing shot. All the while their team mates are close to comatose from boredom.

Two other aspects of the game that many people find unattractive are smoking on the green and drinking during play. Imagine Richie McCaw imploring his troops to greater effort with a fag hanging out his mouth or in the dressing room having a pint at halftime! For mine it's not an attractive part of the sport and how many has it put off the game? Perhaps we need to ask those 1450 who no longer play.

I know this column sounds very negative but the facts don't lie. No doubt there'll be a few knives waiting for my back if I get back on the green sometime.

TONY JENSEN

Thanks Tony.

Update 6^th November  2013.

Bowling On

The furrowed brow I witnessed on the face of Manawatu Representative Bowls selector Terry Puklowski's face on Sunday was very likely caused by the news that Palmerston North men were unable to win a game in division one interclub last Saturday.

Palmerston North usually provide half the Manawatu men's team and with the annual Arnott Duckett event against Taranaki and Wanganui being played on Saturday 15 November the form of players competing at this level is vital and there are no events being played this coming weekend that will provide the necessary level of competition. Hopefully the adage that class is permanent and form is temporary will apply. The teams for the tournament are: Senior (green) Singles, Brian Looker; Pairs, Stephen Love (s) and Graeme Cooley; Fours Pat Horgan (s), Mark Noble, Darryl Johnson and Dean Gilshnan; (white) Singles Chris Barrett, Pairs Barry Wynks and Scotty McGavin; Fours Brian Little, Steve Toms, Grant Davis and Terry Rossiter: (development) Mike Hodge, Keith Hughes, Colin Cherri, Graham Black, Mike Abraham, Harry Mills, Chance Haussman and Eion McIntosh.

After day one of interclub there are five clubs even on eight points being Northern, Terrace End, Aramaho, Durie Hill and Wanganui East followed by Takaro, Marton and Wanganui on four and Palmerston North failing to worry the scorers. There are five rounds to go of course and anything could happen yet but I suspect we will see a few more surprises.

After making an ageist jibe at the Palmerston North women in this column last week they took the remark right to heart and came out blazing to lead the women's competition on nine points, closely followed by Northern and Wanganui East on eight, Johnston Park six, Laird Park five while Marton, Terrace End and Wanganui are all on four each. A tight looking competition. When the Palmerston North ladies bake me a humble pie please remember my favourite flavour is mince and cheese!

• No results have been provided for division two interclub which also proceeds to a National title but I have to say I have a large bouquet and  an equally sized brickbat for Palmerston North which hosted the men's event. A bouquet for producing two greens of absolutely outstanding quality and I don't believe I have ever played on a better surface than what we struck. The "greenkeeper" is the most maligned person in bowls and it is always his fault when someone plays poorly. Well we got a bath from Northern in one game but the rink was superb. Ken Murray has no peer in his profession.

The brickbat was the club's failure to provide markers for the singles which was a poor show. If they had a problem the time to resolve it was the night before and not leave it to chance on the morning. The information sheet that went to clubs on 15th October was very clear in the requirement for four markers. Not much to ask of a club of 159 members. I suspect we won't encounter the problem at the smaller clubs who pride themselves on their hospitality.

• Philip Skoglund jnr is unavailable for the Manawatu team currently but is in great form all the same. At the weekend he made the final of the prestigious North East Valley singles only to bow to Ali Forsyth the dual NZ singles champion 25-16 after a slow start. In such form he will be useful later in the season.

• Events that hold a real mystique for us mere males are the women's galas which always seem to draw big fields and are great money spinners for the clubs. The cross club support they receive is a lesson for us all. Galas coming up are Terrace End 18 November, Ashhurst 27 November and Johnston Park 9th December.

Good bowling

TONY JENSEN

Thanks Tony

Update 29^th October  2013.

Congratulations to Doug Hayward and Ann Corlett who defeated Liz and Terry Rossiter in the  final of the Centre mixed 2-4-2 pairs on Monday.  J

Good Bowling to those Northern players who are taking part in the first day of Interclub on Saturday and the Club Singles championships on Sunday. The long range weather for the weekend looks a little suspect but how often do they get it right? Here's hoping, not this time!

Bowling On

29^th October.

Bowls Manawatu Division One Interclub commences on Saturday and a unique change is the joint competition with Wanganui Clubs.

Each Centre will still provide a representative club to go onto regional and perhaps National finals and in theory one of the Centres could grant that privilege to a club finishing fifth overall although unlikely.

Manawatu will be represented by Palmerston North, Northern and Terrace End in both gender competitions while Johnston Park and Takaro will be the fourth team in the women's and men's competitions respectively. Wanganui and Wanganui East will be in both competitions for the Wanganui Centre and the highly ranked Aramaho and Durie Hill are the other two men's clubs. Laird Park and Marton complete the four clubs in the women's competitions.

What the change will do is remove a lot of the predictability with travel, different greens and unknown opponents being considerations for all players and how they cope on day one may dictate the outcome.

Wanganui teams are not known to me but at Centre level our representative players often struggle to compete and I expect they will be very competitive all round. Northern women will be without Feona Sayles, Chris Quinn and Sharon Sims but it's side still looks well balanced and exemplifies the club's depth. I like the look of Terrace End's women's team while Johnston Park is newly promoted to Division One but will feel the loss of their two best players Robyn Schischka and Lyn Jensen who are both unavailable.

 At the risk of being ageist Palmerston North women look just a little too seasoned to foot it - I await the howls of protest.

Northern also have several changes in the men's seven with Philip Sloglund Jnr, Craig Gush, Cameron Nairne, Grant Simms and Ray Lovie all gone from the club or unavailable. Palmerston North have lost singles exponent Ross Ellery but lose nothing in replacement Chris Barrett while Pat Horgan will skip a four with two new faces in Clayton Simpson who has transferred from Terrace End and Dean Gilshnan who came of age last season.  Brian Little skips Graeme Cooley in the pair and I expect they will be a formidable combination.

Takaro and Terrace End will be competitive with the mens sevens they have named but I question some of the playing order particularly the Takaro four which has an upside down look about it.

Men's Division two is back in numbers with eight teams and Johnston Park and Palmerston North have two entries each. It is usually a matter of which of the Palmerston North teams wins this grade.

Most divisions play two rounds on day one then three rounds on subsequent days which I find thoughtless and totally illogical. If you lose time in a competition it needs to be made up and common sense says if you lose the time later on you can't return to day one to make it up! Play three rounds a day from the start is the only sensible approach.

Manawatu Division One teams are (singles players are shown first followed by pairs skip, lead, fours skip etc): Women, Palmerston North, Robyn McGregor, Pat Cohr, Joan Ware, Ngaire Cowen, Nancy Meads, Marilyn Free, Jewell Griggs; Johnston Park Ann Corlett, Gillian Friis, Christina Bryan, Tina Vartha, Lois Tyler, Tania McKay, Maureen Coffey; Northern, Mere Fryer, Liz Rossiter, Noeleen Elston, Sue Meyer, Anna Davis, Juilanne Mills, Janeen Noble: Terrace End, Patricia Hansen, Bev Budd, Georgie Kahui-Rogers, Sheryn Blake, Hine Bennett-Davies, Ailsa Lindsay, Sharon Groves; Men, Palmerston North, Chris Barrett, Brian Little, Graeme Cooley, Pat Horgan, Steve Toms, Clayton Simpson, Dean Gilshnan: Northern, Terry Johnson, Mark Noble, Neil Gordon, Grant Davis, Adam Johnston, Rhys Hakkens, Bruce Harris; Terrace End, Brian Looker, Shane Rogers, Graeme Gosnell, Dave Newell, Barry Evans, Scruff Anderson, Mike Hodge; Takaro, Terry Rossiter, Barry Wynks, Don Sones, Clark Norris, Kevin Bryan, Ian Johnson. Terry Curtis.

• In a thrilling finish Doug Hayward and Ann Corlett (Northern) beat the husband and wife combination of Liz and Terry Rossiter in the final of the Centre mixed 2-4-2 pairs at Northern on Monday. The score was 12-12 going into the last end and Corlett immediately plonked a bowl right on the jack and it stayed there. All of those characters are in the "Good Guys" category and all a little unheralded as well.

• The Centre is still to set a date to play the carried over final of the Open singles which will be between the crusty old Palmerston North bowler Brian Henn and the highly rated Mark Noble. There is some disquiet among bowlers after the final was carried over after a Monday was set down for the tournament. Several top bowlers did not enter because of work commitments and were bemused to see such a change can be made on a whim.

• Good Bowling

Tony Jensen

Thanks Tony

Update 8^th October  2013.

Northern was handed a bit of a hiding on Saturday by Paraparaumu.

I believe that the score was something like 23 to Northern and 53 to Paraparaumu. 

It is good tactics to let them win once in a while, keeps them interested. J

Bowling On

8^th October.

Manawatu Bowls will swing into full gear for the season with the playing of the Centre Open Singles for both genders this coming weekend.

The only disappointment for me is completing the tournament on Monday rather than a later weekend thus precluding some working people from playing. It is easy to suggest taking leave but many jobs are such today that one off leave days are not easy. There is enough thought that bowls is an old man's game without going out of the way to make workers unwelcome.

Nevertheless there is a good field lining up and the top half of the Women's B section at Feilding has the look of the draw from hell about it. Included in the eight players are Noeleen Elston, Sheryn Blake, Feona Sayles, Mere Fryer, Anna Davis all top Manawatu representative bowlers of recent vintage as well as Taradale's Colleen Ferrick who has been prominent at National level. The bottom half is only marginally less fierce including Georgie Kahui-Rogers, Janeen Noble, Joan Ware, Sue Meyer and Sharon Groves.  Many of these women will be in the one-life draw after one round so that won't be an easy path. Selector Viv Lozell will be delighted to see so many good match-ups to look at as she looks to find her teams for the season.

The men's sections do not have the same spread of talent but there are some good first round match-ups all the same. At Shannon Brian Schischka who won the open singles when it was last played two years ago meets Current Representative Barry Wynks and with both bowlers sporting reputations as slowish players I can see markers hiding in the locker room to avoid that game.

At Woodville Philip Skoglund jnr plays Darryl Johnson (who has joined the exodus from Foxton & Beach to Himatangi Beach) who is a formidable singles exponent. Another top match there will be Terrace End clubmates Brian Looker and Shane Rogers. The pick of first round games at Palmerston North will be Mark Noble playing Clayton Simpson.

After two rounds a quarter of the field will exit and the numbers will reduce quickly from then. I am a proponent of the two-life system and some good bowlers will be marking come the third round. The most prominent bowlers missing are Scotty McGavin, Stephen Love and Chris Barrett.

. Bowls administration hit a new low last weekend when the running of the annual hexagonal event in Wanganui turned into a shambles. The Manawatu Centre President Phil Skoglund is guarded about commenting but it would appear that after Centres agreeing some time back that the event would now be open to eight year and under bowlers the agreement was overturned during the tournament. All of us in bowls know that conditions of play can only be altered by the Controlling Body but a decision was taken by a group comprising the Managers of the women's teams.

That being  allowed to happen is incredulous enough but that it only applied to the women's event and not the men's adds to the suggestion that someone who couldn't run a bath was running things. The upshot was that Manawatu won the women's event on the green but were penalised two points for each game they fielded a player that was not a five year and under bowler. I understand the Manawatu women reacted with admirable dignity when informed of the assinine decision but I can't understand the Centre having no comment. In this day and age social media means the information is spread around the bowling fraternity rapidly so staying "mum" is no response. I awoke to a text before 6-00am on Monday alerting me something was up. It is said the Lord moves in mysterious ways but he has nothing on Bowls administration.

• It is probably bittersweet now but I thought it a fantastic achievement from Kylie Yates of the Ashhurst Club to make the "eight year" and under Manawatu team. The club has but three women bowlers so to excel at centre level has been a special effort.

TONY JENSEN

Thanks Tony

Update 30^th September  2013.

The weather was not kind over the weekend causing the cancellation of the Fitzherbert Rowe Any Gender triples on Sunday.

Good luck to the Northern Members going down to Paraparaumu this weekend.

Bowling On

30^th September.

The draw is out for the Centre Open singles and while there is a familiar look to much of the field there are some notable names missing.

The event will be played from 12-14 October and sections will be held at Woodville, Palmerston North (2), Johnston Park and Shannon. There is a reluctance from some clubs to host singles because of the need to provide markers but the two life system means exiting players should be able to mark all games after the second round.

The women's event has drawn 28 entries and Northern (10), Palmerston North (6) and Terrace End (6) provide the bulk of the entry with Takaro, Himatangi Beach, Hokowhitu and Johnston Park having a sole entry each and the remaining two being visitors from Taradale and Marton.

It is not a good omen for Johnston Park's ability to compete in the combined Wanganui interclub competition with a single entry.

Notably absent are Sharon Sims, Christine Quinn, Sophie Fisher and Lyn Jensen.

The men's event has drawn a field of 48 and 37 of those entries come from four clubs being Palmerston North (12), Northern and Terrace End (9 each) and the surprise package is an entry of seven from Himatangi Beach. The most notable absentees are Ross Ellery who is having a break from the game, fellow Representative bowler Chris Barrett and the promising Dean Gilshnan. Ellery has been a stand out as the Manawatu singles player and Barrett may well have have been in consideration for the spot if he had fronted for this tournament. Selector Terry Puklowski is unlikely to defer to the old guard with players like Pat Horgan and Philip Skoglund so there is a real opportunity for a younger bowler to stand up and say pick me.

The extremely talented Shane Rogers is one in that bracket but to use harness racing parlance he is on the unruly list and will need to alter a few behaviours to meet Puklowski's favour. Others in the younger bracket who could press for representative spots are Clayton Simpson and Michael Abraham who are now at Palmerston North and Michael Hodge.

• One of the stand out tournaments that is deserved of player support will be held at Palmerston North Bowling Club this Sunday. The Rescue Helicopter fundraiser is an any gender mufti fours and about $4000 was raised last year. Get your entries in and support this great cause that will touch us all at some stage.

• The annual hexagonal tournament for eight year and under bowlers will be held in Wanganui this coming weekend. Teams are; Men, Glen Curtis ,Alan Burton, John Osborne, Kevin Bryan, Rob Christiaans (all Takaro), Chance Hausman (Bulls), Mike Hodge (Terrace End), Michael Bowey (Palmerston North) and Graeme Black (Northern). Women, Ailsa Lindsay, Sharon Groves, Glenda O'Conner (Terrace End), Tania Harris (Northern), Christina Bryan (Takaro), Sophie Fisher, Michele Welsh (Himatangi Beach), Mary McConway, Beryl England (Palmerston North) and Kylie Yates (Ashhurst).

• Don't forget entries close for the Labour Weekend Centre 2-4-2 pairs this Friday 4 October.

Enjoy your bowls.

TONY JENSEN

Thanks Tony

Update 23rd September.

The Handicap pairs was a bit of a wash out last Saturday.
We managed 1 game and about 6 ends of the second game before the heavens opened up and the plug was pulled.

Bowling On
23^rd September

Bowls New Zealand is honouring it's century of existence with the overdue establishment of a Hall of Fame.

At a recent function 36 bowlers were named as the inaugural inductees. Of those 27 are named as athletes of the highest calibre and a further nine were selected for their outstanding efforts in support of the sport. Manawatu provides three athletes in Phil Skoglund Snr, Sharon Sims and Russell Meyer and all are justly honoured.

Five of the 27 athletes were chosen to wear the mantle "Kiwi Bowling Legends" and the only two males in the five are Phil Skoglund and Peter Belliss from our neighbouring Centre Wanganui. The women included are Elsie Wilkie, Cis Winstanley and Millie Khan and I wouldn't expect any arguments there.

 Many have long espoused Skoglund as New Zealand's finest ever male bowler and it is good to have that recognition. He remains the only bowler to win three consecutive National singles and that was in a time that the tournament attracted three times the numbers it does today. He is also a NZ Sports Hall of Fame inductee.

What disappoints me about the line-up named is the absence of the names Nick Unkovich and Gary Lawson. Both are superior bowlers to some of those named and one can only assume it was their brushes with officialdom that caused their absence. They remain our only double gold star National winners. Hopefully their omission will be rectified in time.

•  I have noticed with interest that in the latest edition of it's handbook the Manawatu Centre is again publishing membership numbers for each club.

While not wanting to sound too negative a good number of clubs are clearly on life support. In the five city clubs there are 432 members using a total of 14 greens. In days gone by the rule of thumb was 100 bowlers per green but the above statistics work out to only 31 bowlers per green. Only Palmerston North is located on freehold title and I wonder how satisfied the Palmerston North City Council is with effective use of its assets.

City Clubs are more vulnerable than the country clubs, players have options and are more likely to move clubs for a variety of reasons including dissatisfaction with green standard, to play with mates or a spat with someone in the club. As long as they can get someone to keep the green our country cousins seem to survive. Kimbolton, Ashhurst and Te Kawau with seven women between them have largely ineffective women's sections and with a total of 271 women playing in the Centre that game is more at risk than the men's.

• Terry Puklowski has returned to selecting duties after a long absence and will select our men's teams at all levels. No doubt one or two fringe players are offering to mow his lawns!

• Players need to be getting entries in for the Centre Open singles from 12-14 October and I am glad to see a return to the two life system.

• I'll battle to make this a weekly column without support from Clubs. Email news to tony.jensen@aon.com. So far I have had a nil return from my first appeal for news. Good bowling.

Tony Jensen

Update 16^th September  2013.

Saturday was the opening of the 2013 – 2014 season.

After a welcome and the rolling up of the first bowl of the season by our club Patron, Noeleen, play commenced for the Herbert plate.

This Progressive Tournament has been weather affected more than most in the last couple of seasons so it was sort of a surprise, given the forecast, that we were able to play for the plate in what was pretty good weather on green 2 which to me, appeared to run nicely for the first use of the season. The winner of the Herbert Plate was Doug Hayward our Club Captain. Well done Doug.

With all the smart phones and camera’s around these days, if you are at a tournament or a game, the likelihood is that you may see an opportunity to take a candid picture that is worth sharing with others in the club. Please take it and put it up on our Facebook page or if you prefer, send it to me and I will put it in the Blog or on Facebook for you. You can send it to my email address or to my mobile phone. The number is in the Club Program booklet.

Bowling On, 16^th September.

Bowling Clubs knew the season was upon us at the weekend when many celebrated opening to the accompaniment of the usual biting breeze that only the Manawatu can produce.

It will be a busy season at Centre level with Open tournaments restored although champion of champion events will still be the pathway to regional and National finals. Many of our competitive bowlers felt short changed with the absence of Open events last season so hopefully they will provide enough entries to justify the restoration of these tournaments.

Whether running a Centre Open Singles in mid October is wise planning is another thing. We usually strike our worst weather then, greens have not reached their best and players are likely to be short on match play. Playing the Blue riband event so early may be folly.

Another major change this season sees Manawatu joining Wanganui for a combined premiere interclub of four teams each. Something had to be done at that level and I welcome the initiative. In the women's competition there had only been three teams for several years and the men only fronted with four clubs. Johnston Park has stepped up to be the fourth women's team although there is a possibility they may yet have to combine with another Club to select  a competitive seven players.

Whether women will enjoy the elongated competition and travel commitment as much as the men I am guarded on. It was only two years ago there were howls of protest from some over extending the competition to two days.

• There are usually many rumours about player movements during the off season and among those I have heard but not substantiated are;

- Manawatu singles exponent Ross Ellery is taking a total break from the game to concentrate on family.

- Sharon Sims is having a break from bowls altogether and I note she has no administration roles in the Centre or her Northern Club.

- Feona Sayles now has involvement with Bowls NZ and will not be playing as often

- One I'm delighted to confirm is that current Manawatu singles champion Stephen Love has joined Johnston Park. Stephen was very competitive at the Professional Bowlers Association singles in Invercargill recently until a wonky knee forced him to withdraw from the semi-final and forfeit the chance of a trip to England.

- Craig Gush is heading to Fiji with his job. With his ability don't be surprised to see him bob up playing bowls for the country at Commonwealth games or the like. There's a challenge for you Craig.

- Promising women's bowler Tania MacKay is back after a year's absence playing at Johnston Park.

- Current Manawatu singles champion Lyn Jensen won't get in much play at all this season as she abandons her husband and concentrates on her other role of Inner Wheel NZ President.

• Bowls and in particular the Hokowhitu Club lost a gem of a man with the recent  passing of Don McPhee. Don had been Club President, greenkeeper and I will remember him best for his coaching. I often turned up to play at Hokowhitu to find Don tutoring a group of newer bowlers. Don always took the initiative to involve those bowlers. He was no mean bowler himself and was good enough to earn a Centre title leading for Scruff Gordon's four in the champion of champions in the 2001-02 season. I lead against him in that final and we had a torrid scrap. As an aside Scruff's performance at skip that day rank's as one of the finest I've seen.

Don had many and varied interests, a piper, clansman and Rugby refereeing and never lacked an opinion on sport. He will be missed.

• I won't be on the greens much myself before Christmas. I recently had a hiatus hernia repaired which will keep me quiet for awhile and I will then be having a knee tidied up.

 To make this column relevant I need support from Clubs so please email news to tony.jensen@aon.com or txt me on 021491808 as a passing comment if you see me at a club will likely get lost.

I was disappointed last season when I asked for all Division One interclub teams so I could do a preview and received only one. So as soon as you select let me know. Good bowling.

TONY JENSEN

Thanks Tony

Update 14^th May 2013.

Saturday was the return match with Takaro for the TeRaki cup. On Takaro's home turf, the carpet this time, Northern once again comprehensively won the challenge. This cup has been played for a on a regular basis now for the last 80 years. Takaro as usual were the perfect hosts putting on a very nice lunch and afternoon tea. Thanks Takaro.  We look forward to once again defending the TeRaki cup in the 2013 – 2014 season.

Sunday was the official closing day for our club.  In absolutely fantastic weather, the Herbert Plate was up for grabs in the final games of the season. Tom Palmer was the eventual winner.

Being a progressive tournament it is not often that a Skip wins this trophy. Well done Tom.

At the end of play the prize giving ceremony was held with the trophies for the year being presented by our Patron Bevin.

After which the Centre Certificates and awards were presented by our Manawatu  Centre Executive guest for the day, Woody (Tony Woodley).

After the presentations there was a pot luck tea and very nice it was too.

Once again, great weather, good company and well catered. What more could you ask?

Don’t forget, the AGM is 10am Sunday the 16^th of June. See you there!

Have a great winter!

Here is a couple of photo taken on Sunday.

I can’t take the credit for all of these as Sue, Bill, John and co all had a go.
(Click on the image to make it larger.)

Apart from Anne, who else can you see?

That's got to be Bill! Who else?

Anne again with Murray and Joan

That looks like Elaine getting ready to deliver.

Gee, Anne again with Tom, Bob, Doug, Max, Lindsay and Bevin.

Sue and Margaret being presented with the Gwen Mckenzie Cup.

Sue and Margaret with the Gwen Mckenzie Cup.

Lindsay was presented with the Frank Fee Trophy. He is with Noel who is a previous winner of this prestigious award.

Winners of the Division 2 Inter-club Title receive their Certificates.

Winners of the Division 2 Inter-club Title receive their Certificates. 

Winners of the Division 2 Inter-club Title receive their Certificates.

Bruce Harris with his trophy the John Smith Trophy for best overall performance in the Men's Club Championships.

Feona was the recipient of the equivalent Ladies award, the trophy Donated by Sue Way.

Congratulations to everyone.