Update 30^th  December  2014.

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

Manawatu has been slow to join the national trend towards artificial greens, with the Tiger Turf at Takaro the only local example of the species. Despite the obvious savings in greenkeepers’ wages and the potential for Winter bar turnover, the reasons for this have been generally sound. This region’s natural greens have long been among the very best in the country, and it’s well accepted that the first problem-free artificial surface has yet to be created. However, there is another synthetic surface tucked away on the fringes of the city which more than justifies its existence, despite being a mini-version with only three rinks. This is the green found at the Julia Wallace Retirement Village, where a small group of residents sharpen their skills on a regular basis. Bevan Hyde, many times a Manawatu representative and title winner at Northern, probably has the best track record of the group. It also includes a highly talented veteran who helped inflict a lot of pain on my team in a recent Skoglund Triples clash between traditional rivals Northern and Palmerston North. This is Noel Kensington, patriarch of a family of outstanding sportsmen. Noel has been a member at Northern continuously since 1946. His forte was tennis, and, with son Bruce, followed by grandson Michael, he began a remarkable extended era of domination of the honours board by the Kensingtons. Returning to Bowls though, Noel remains an outstanding Lead in any company, and he certainly sowed the seeds of our demise in fast, windy conditions. Playing in the middle of Noel’s team under Skip Colin Lozell that day was another formidable opponent with superior sports credentials in Ron Sandilands. Ron has long been a respected figure in both Table Tennis and Badminton circles, and has represented New Zealand in several sports. He has joined the bowling ranks only in recent years, but brings a wealth of sports wisdom to the greens.

Yet another tough competitor from Northern whom I’ve battled in recent weeks is Ann Corlett. This time a highly prized Christmas ham was on the line, and it didn’t take long to find out why Ann is the most recent bowler in the Centre to join the coveted list of Gold Star holders. Her crucial fifth victory came with the side skipped by Liz Rossiter that won the Pathways Open Fours, and it was only last year that Ann also reached Regional level when she won the 2x4x2 Pairs with Doug Hayward.   

Thanks Denis.

A happy and a safe New Year to all.

Update 23rd December  2014.

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

We’re led to believe that when a powerful beast emerges from long hibernation, the rumblings are heard and felt all around. It was a bit like that last weekend when the word spread that Phil Skoglund Snr had won the Northern Club’s Singles title. I suspect that Phil himself has long forgotten how many times his name is on this trophy and on the record of past winners of the two Centre Singles titles, but it’s quite a while since he has seriously pursued them. Credit is due to Murray Wood, who took Phil’s first life and pushed him to 21-18 in the final, but the re-appearance of the old Master from Northern in the Champion of Champions event will be well worth watching. Ross Ellery’s victory in the Centre Open Singles on the same day was also pleasing. Ross’s obvious skill is backed by a phlegmatic and unflappable temperament. He’s a tough and dogged opponent with four bowls, and it’s surprising that his only previous Centre Singles title was in  Wellington many years back. The other three who made it to the last day, Dean Gilshnan, Graeme Cooley and Adam Johnston, would all have been worthy winners, and it was good to see a talented newcomer to this Centre narrowly fail to survive that far. Eryl Bocock of Northern has represented several New Plymouth clubs, with Paritutu the most recent, and has already proved to be a fine all-round player.

Attention now turns to the Open Pairs for both Men and Women, to be played at Terrace End early in the New Year. Phil and Philip Skoglund will team up in that one, as will Craig Gush with Raymond Skoglund, who is having his first competitive outing in well over a decade. A glance at the handbook for the 110th Taranaki Open Fours reveals that these four players are travelling together to that event where they have drawn one of the toughest sections. Entries are strong for both Women’s and Men’s Open Pairs, and in the Men’s event the format being used will make this the most cut-throat competition in ages. Only eight teams from around forty can qualify for the second day, meaning that even one narrow loss in section play will probably mean elimination. The Women’s event will follow the same format, and most of the contenders for Eric Watson’s representative sides are in the field.

Thanks Denis.

Update 9th December  2014.

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

Carey Pratt from Terrace End features again in this week’s column, having added to his recent successes in Hamilton by defending the Hibiscus Cup along with Steve O’Connell. The winning Pair held off the chasing pack by one differential point, but ‘back to back’ wins in any event are an achievement to savour. There were suggestions from the ferociously keen field of Junior bowlers contesting the event on Takaro’s artificial surface that provision for a full round-robin or a final would have improved the format. These additions would of course demand more time, and probably an extra day, which may not be practical. However, there’s no doubting that the Centre’s novices may lack numbers, but not the will to win for their Club.

Janine Noble deserves plaudits for her part in the superb feat of defending her Pathways 2x4x2 title with Barry Wynks. Janine’s consistency in this event has been no fluke, and she clearly belongs among the Centre’s top echelon of Woman players. The final, played against Shane Rogers and Sheryn Blake, was not only the intensely fought contest that everyone expected. It also provided an absorbing battle between a team using the traditional wider drawing bowl and opponents wielding the latest style of weaponry. I thought that the even contest which ensued merely showed what we already knew – that both types have their merits.

The last but certainly not the least honourable mention this week goes to Dean Gilshnan, who nailed his first Senior Singles title at Palmerston North by decisively beating the best in the form of Pat Horgan. In the light of Dean’s formidable skills and national achievements indoors, this was a win that everyone knew was only a matter of time. It will surely also be only the beginning of greater things for an already outstanding player. Dean’s win became even more meritorious because he unavoidably missed the first round of the event, and, with the approval of the Club’s Match Committee, took the field in Round 2 with only one life to defend from the outset. It’s to be hoped that this final might start a trend too in terms of its timing. It was played in late Friday afternoon sunshine around the time club members were arriving in numbers for their refreshments and conviviality. It’s rumoured that Dean inveigled some unwilling associates, including his final opponent, into celebrations that lasted well into the night, but these reports remain unconfirmed.

Thanks Denis.

Update 8th December  2014.

Barry Gush turns 80.

Congratulations and Many Happy Returns Barry.

There was a gathering at the Club on the 28^th of November to help him celebrate.

(Click on the pic to enlarge it.)

Update 2nd December  2014.

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

The return to the use of Open Tournaments to provide Pathways to higher honours got away to a successful start last weekend. Throughout the weekend, the winners somehow survived a ferocious buffeting by the now familiar gales that have dogged bowlers this season, and there seemed to be general approval of the format which ensured completion within the two days. This system will be used in all except the Singles events, which revert to the time honoured two life system. Liz Rossiter, supported by Ann Corlett, Janine Noble and Tania Harris took the Women’s event, preventing Bev Budd from edging closed to the mark of 40 Centre titles which is said to be her ultimate aim. With her economical style and equable temperament, Liz now rates highly among our top woman players. I recall a time when, as Liz Huckstep, she was also a force to be reckoned with in Hawkes Bay tennis circles, and time has shown her to be a formidable sportswoman.

The team to beat in the Men’s event appeared to be Mark Noble’s heavyweight side including Craig Gush, Philip Skoglund and Terry Johnson, but the gales proved to be a leveller, and vast experience finally triumphed. This was surely a factor in the very tight victory won by Brian Looker’s Palmerston North side over  Barry Wynks’ Takaro team, which included Terry Rossiter, husband of Liz. The decisive shot for Looker on a nail-biting final end, a trail of the jack to near the ditch, was played by Ron Henn. As a tough competitor and always a hard nut to crack, Ron’s second Centre title was well overdue. He has two recent runner-up performances at the Taranaki Open Fours in Brian Little’s Four. Brother Brian Henn was also part of those Taranaki performances. His Centre Singles win last year clinched an overdue Gold Star, and he is arguably the most experienced and formidable front-end bowler in the Centre. The Looker combination also went for experience in the Lead position, occupied by Eric Watson, a.k.a ‘The Fly’. Eric has been a force on the Manawatu scene for more than half a century. Originally heard of as a youthful hot-shot from Pahiatua, he was encouraged to play on this side of the Ranges by Kevin Wing, whom he partnered in the Pairs when Manawatu famously won its only victory in the old Rothmans Inter-Centre event at Christchurch . Eric did take a long time to clinch his Gold Star, and memorable among a large number of runner-up disappointments was a loss to the fast rising star Russell Meyer in a Singles final played in one of the worst Spring gales on record. The best display of skill I can recall from ‘The Fly’ though, was long ago at Hokowhitu when he took both lives in an afternoon from the legendary Vic Sellars to win the Open Singles. These two classic matches were played on a glass-like surface that suited Eric’s noted affection for the wide drawing side of the rink. From all this we know that there will be no shortage of experience in the Fours teams wending their way north to Gisborne for the regional eliminations.

Thanks Denis.

Update 25^th November  2014.

Congratulations to the Northern Men's 2^nd  & 3^rd Div Inter-club teams on the winning of their respective competitions for the 2014 – 2015 season.

Well done!

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

Television exposure is a vital component of marketing any sport and Bowls is no exception. We get precious little, so anything we can get on air, courtesy of Sky Television, needs to be quality stuff. Over recent days the highs and lows of what does make it have been evident. The second edition of the Australian Premier League, beamed in prime time out of the palatial Pine Rivers complex near Brisbane, was largely superb. In the mix here were several ingredients that could well draw the uninitiated to the sport. First and foremost there was fierce rivalry, with play of a generally high standard. The inclusion of a quality New Zealand side competing at State rather than International level could be questioned, but at least the top Kiwis were on screen and, better still, were winning regularly. Ali Forsyth’s deadly use of the drive shot added an element of the spectacular too. Not all of the hoop-la surrounding the event would go down well on this side of the Tasman, such as the scantily clad hostesses and blatant booze promotion, but most of it is to be applauded. The use of Power Plays and the provision for substitutions and Time Out have been successfully borrowed from cricket and basketball. The players wired live to the commentators seldom have anything insightful to say, but again it adds to the sense of immediacy. Imposing a time limit for delivery of a bowl certainly prevents time-wasting, seen when the legendary Kelvin Kerkow had his missile stopped and summarily removed from the field of play for such a sin. The series did raise the old bogey of using sets to determine results. This method was tried at length and ultimately rejected over here, mainly because the player with the most points doesn’t necessarily win. Sudden death tie-breakers can be a deflating lottery for those on the wrong end of them too, but they generate excitement, and that’s what the Premier League is all about. The truly vital ingredient is star quality among the players. It’s hard to credit now that the likes of the brilliant Scot Alex Marshall, currently undisputed as the world’s best player, was once seen annually and in numbers right here in the Manawatu. Those were the sadly long gone days of the magnificent Lion Masters’ Singles. However, Marshall was somehow enticed to Brisbane atop of an impressive list of big Australian names and the silky skills of the bulky, transplanted Irishman Jeremy Henry.

Also currently screening again are the finals of the annual Trusts New Zealand Open from Henderson. I hate to say it, but this is more likely to deter new bowlers than attract them.  The finalists find themselves far from the sheltered and cosseted comforts of Pine Rivers. Often they step out into the violent gusts and squalls common at this time of year, and, when this is added to large doses of jitters at the sight of the live cameraman, the results often range from poor to disastrous. The sparsely scattered and rugged-up spectators provide no atmosphere, and the unitiated viewer must often wonder how such apparent incompetents could have reached a major final. These are players who are often very well performed within their Centres, and they can’t enjoy being seen to struggle like rank novices on camera. There have been some well fought finals of course, and the McBeth/Belliss commentary is excellent, but generally the standard of play on show is not nearly good enough to be of much value.

Congratulations must again go to the Northern club which has booked three of the four available spots at the regional Interclub finals in Gisborne. Most recently, Northern romped home in the ultra-competitive Men’s Division 2 where there were nine starters, including two from both Takaro and Palmerston North. 

    

 

Thanks Denis.

Update 12^th November  2014.

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

Men’s Division 1 Interclub is now complete, which in itself is probably the crucial issue to emerge from a controversial second day’s  play. It’s a matter of history that Northern came through as winners only after the recorders had to use the third of four available means to separate them from the other leading contender, Palmerston North 1. Two sides finishing on the same number of match points is not unusual, but to find their respective shot differentials identical is rare, and it was only on ends won that the winner was determined. Ends are not usually a factor in Singles matches, and this helped to make the final situation a real talking point. It’s no wonder that those of us toiling under a hot Dannevirke sun in Division 2 were confused by conflicting messages emanating from Bowls Central at the Palmerston North greens. Credit must first go to the winning Northern Club, which has had a superbly consistent record in this event for many seasons. This time, as always, they had players of long proven top class in the three key positions – Mark Noble in charge of the Four, Philip Skoglund Skipping the Pair, and Terry Johnson in the Singles berth. However, returning to my opening point, this outcome surely proved that a head to head showdown between the two best performed sides after the Round Robin would have been a more satisfactory way of finding the winner. It’s been done that way not too long ago and there was ample time left last Saturday for it. Alternatively, such a high profile showdown would certainly attract even the most apathetic Bowls watcher. It’s obvious that this type of finale to competitions, with everything on the line in a climactic match, is very much in vogue these days across a wide range of sports.  Finding the right day in a crowded calendar would not be easy, but the Manawatu competition is at present very brief by comparison with the majority of Centres.

The two new Manawatu representative selectors have unveiled their teams for the Tri-Series hosted this weekend by Wanganui. This event has existed in various formats for many years under the title of the Arnott and Duckett Trophies. Eric Watson’s Women’s team looks very sound, with its most eye-catching combination in one of the Pairs where Sheryn Blake and Georgie Kahui-Rogers will surely take a lot of beating. It’s also good to see the return of Palmerston North’s Nola Urbahn. Tania Harris and Christina Bryan are two exciting players to watch in the Development section. Tania played impressively in the 2x4x2 Pairs over Labour Weekend where she and husband Bruce missed the Quarter-Finals on an extra end, and Christina stood out in the team that recently ran second in the WKWM Rep. fixture at Masterton.  Sharon Sims’ first Men’s team has a strong base in the Singles, where Shane Rogers tops the list. He is named with Brian Looker, who steps up after having previously featured only as a fringe Fours selection. Sharon has named a power-packed Four which must be some sort of pointer towards the major events later in the season. Pat Horgan has again been in dominant Club form, and he will step out with Chris Barrett at Lead backed by our two Glasgow medallists in the engine room. Jason Moore has been off the greens for some time and it’s good to see his ability recognised so soon, while the selection of the youthful Eion MacIntosh, now playing at Terrace End, is a sound investment for the future.

    

 

Thanks Denis.

Update 10^th November  2014.

Congratulations to the Northern Ladies 2^nd Div Inter-club Team on the winning of their competition for the 2014 – 2015 season.

Well done!

The Successful Team.

Congratulations also to the Men’s first Div Inter-club Team on the winning of their competition for the 2014 – 2015 season.

Well done!

Update 5^th November  2014.

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

A severely wind-blown opening day of Interclub certainly blew away the assumption by this pundit that Northern were obvious favourites to take the Women’s title. Congratulations to the Terrace End side that won every match to take out the competition with plenty to spare. The team that nailed down the first available spot in the Regional finals in Gisborne has already been named in the press, but a victory as comprehensive as this one justifies their repetition. The successful players were Mere Fryer, Georgie Kahui-Rogers, Bev Budd, Sheryn Blake, Ailsa Lindsay, Christina Bryan and Lynlea Rogers. The Men’s competition remains wide open. With two rounds to play, Palmerston North 1 leads by a single point from Terrace End and Northern. Day 2 will be intense, with every chance that the smallest of margins will decide the ultimate outcome. The Horgan/Gilshnan Pair proved again how vital they are to the hopes of leaders Palmerston North 1 by going through the first three rounds unbeaten on a day where honours were relatively evenly divided.

The Bowls Manawatu candidate nominated for this weekend’s Sport Manawatu awards in the Administrator of the Year category didn’t make the finals cut, but was a very worthy nomination. Current Centre Manager Vern Sixtus has clocked up a lifetime’s worth of service to the sport, mainly under the now discarded title of Secretary. Since first joining the Manawatu Centre executive in the early 1980’s, Vern has served in every imaginable capacity, including a two year term as President in the early 1990’s. He retired in 2004, but was persuaded to return when Phil Skoglund revisited the Presidential chair. Today Vern continues to be the ‘go-to man’ for every aspect of the Centre’s activities and especially when there’s a problem to sort out. In a previous life, Vern also clocked up nineteen consecutive years as Secretary of the Takaro club. He is a colossus in the local administration of the sport.

Hours of meticulous research went into the preparation of Vern’s record as an Administrator of the Year candidate, and most of this was performed by another true stalwart in Stan Goston. Stan revealed that he still possesses copies of the Centre Handbook dating back to before 1980, and this was the crucial resource used in checking out Vern’s extensive background in Bowls. Stan is the current Patron of the Terrace End club, where he is a long serving player and administrator.  He’s a diehard Cantabrian at heart, and he continues to oversee the ever popular Skoglund Triples weekly competition, together with former National president Keith McMurtrie.

A great night was had by all who turned up at the Palmerston North clubrooms for a very successful indoors ‘Race Meeting’ which raised a sizeable part of the funds required to send Manawatu teams to the National Inter-Centre event in Christchurch later in the season.

    

 

Thanks Denis.

Update 29^th October  2014.

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

It’s Interclub time again, with the prospect of cut-throat competition in the two top Divisions as the  cream of local players square off this weekend. It’s a pity that the wrinkles in the excellent idea of combining this competition with Wanganui couldn’t have been ironed out, but maybe that will just intensify the clashes between the leading contenders. The heavy concentration of Women’s strength at Northern will make this one day competition theirs to lose, but on the plus side the lack of contenders will make it easier for Selector Eric Watson to find the right combinations with the first Inter-Centre clash of the season only a fortnight away. The task faced by this pundit in trying to predict how the Men’s competition might play out becomes very difficult with three of the six Division One contenders not having unveiled their selections at time of writing. Palmerston North arguably has greater depth of quality players than most of its rivals, and this is reflected in their decision to reverse previous policy by fielding two teams in Division One. Talking points in the sides emerging from Linton St are the return after a year’s break of Ross Ellery and the appearance of the well performed Brian Looker, previously of Terrace End, who Skips the Four in the B team. Ellery’s most recent performance at top level saw him drop only one Singles from five as Manawatu ran second in the National Inter-Centre. Even more interesting in the B team  is the appearance of top Kapiti player Ray Boffa, who will have Mike Abraham leading for him in the Pair. Palmerston North A will field possibly the most lethal and well performed combo named by any club so far in the Pair of Pat Horgan and Dean Gilshnan. The  Northern side, unconfirmed as yet, will probably start as favourite in Division One, with trump cards in Philip Skoglund and Glasgow Silver Medallist Mark Noble, as well as the return from tropical climes of the vastly experienced Craig Gush. Takaro visibly grows in strength each year. Their side is currently unknown, but with the big match ability and strategic craft of Barry Wynks in their corner, cannot be counted out. The return of Clayton Simpson to Terrace End compensates for the loss of Brian Looker, and they have Shane Rogers currently in red-hot form. Shane has travelled widely to display startling early season form on the Kapiti Coast and especially in Wanganui, where he recently dealt mercilessly to the best of the locals, including the legendary Peter Belliss, on his way to the local Open Singles final.

In a quick look at the remaining contenders for the rained off 2x4x2 Pairs , now up for completion in early December, Shane and the well performed Sherryn Blake  stand out as likely to be a serious threat to obvious favourites, the Mark Noble/Fisher and Wynks/Janeen Noble combos.    

Thanks Denis.

Update 13^th October  2014.

Northern Vs Paraparaumu.

Saturday the 11^th saw the annual competition between Paraparaumu and the Northern Bowling clubs take place.

The weather gods co-operated and turned on a cracker day.

It was a very close tournament with Northern coming out on top - just!

The scores were

-          Northern       18 wins 2 draws and 38 points.

-          Paraparumu 18 wins 2 draws and 38 points.

-          Diff - Paraparaumu -47 Northern +47 points.

It was a great day enjoyed by all.

Below are a couple of pictures taken on the day. (Click on the picture to enlarge it.)

Update 9^th October  2014.

Welcome to a new season.

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

Despite the seasonal blasts of vicious Spring gales and squalls, there have been confirmed reports of bowlers emerging to tackle the new season, and doing so with optimism! Gloomy reflections on vanished participants have been outweighed by the arrival of a shrewd and energetic new Centre President, and a Men’s Selector whose presence must make Manawatu the object of envy from other Centres. Tony Woodley, now playing out of Terrace End, has taken up the presidential reins with energy and enthusiasm, though I have been told that his carefully aimed first bowl of the season at Johnston Park veered dramatically and mysteriously off course! The appointment of Sharon Sims as Men’s Selector is a masterstroke, and Sharon is to be thanked and congratulated for taking up this challenging role. To have in the position a person of such mana, which will easily earn the respect of all prospective representatives, is a huge plus for our Centre.

The representative season has already got off to an outstanding start. Unfortunately new Women’s selector, Eric Watson, despite casting his eye widely and trawling membership lists, was unable to come up with a viable squad to contest the annual season-opening Under 5 years fixture. However, Sharon Sims was able to conduct an excellent build-up programme for the Men, which bore fruit in a rare runner-up placing at Wanganui last weekend. Taranaki currently has an exceptional array of talent at this level, and they made no race of grabbing their second consecutive title. The Manawatu squad couldn’t get seriously close to them, but to run second in an event which demands the constant changing around of team combinations and disciplines, as well as coping with a scrambled draw and a tricky artificial playing surface, is no mean feat. Our Centre President doubled as Manager, and he has counselled me against mention of individuals, but I am about to defy orders, because this was a really notable effort. 

Graham Black somehow pulled off a magical Singles comeback to down a fancied Wellington player 25-24 after trailing 11-23. Graham has previously impressed as a player with exceptional qualities of skill and temperament for a novice bowler. Pat Simms is the standout among the smallish group of school-age players in action in the area. Son of the well performed Grant Simms, Pat already has significant experience in the game and is developing into a very able exponent of all the shots. John Osborne from Takaro  has long experience of intense high level Table Tennis competition, frequently in tandem with the redoutable Barry Wynks, and is well used to the stresses of rep. play. Bevan Burt and Michael Bowey both Impressed during last year’s Centre Open Pairs competition  - Bevan with his aggression and confidence, and Michael who quietly progressed to the latter stages, playing with his visiting father and on a diet of minimal play owing to work commitments. It must be stressed again though that this was a fine team effort, and one in which Alan Burton (a veteran of the event),Craven Teua, Steve O’Connell, Ron Sandiland and Todd O’Carroll all played a vital part.

Looking forward, it’s time for all bowlers to check out the list of upcoming club and Centre tournaments and to resolve to support as many events as possible. In particular, the Pathways Mixed 2-4-2 Pairs over Labour Weekend is rapidly looming. This is one which is usually well supported and surely will be again. A little further ahead, but an exciting prospect, is an Inter-School competition which is well overdue and now has the full backing in organisation of Sport Manawatu. Finally, it’s rumoured that the eagerly listened to voice across the early Saturday airwaves this season will belong to Steve Toms. Steve is now Centre Vice-President, and, as one of our most decorated bowlers is just the man to tell us what’s going on around the greens.

Thanks Denis.

Update 7^th August  2014.

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

Heading into a new season, Manawatu bowlers could take a moment to reflect on two outstanding efforts by our players in recent times. The Games silver medal won by Mark Noble and Barry Wynks was a simply superb effort, and a well deserved one given the many hours of hours of hard work they put into their preparation. They were very competitive in every match played, and their only loss in the final was the result of a shaky start, with the game following a very similar pattern to a certain recent Rugby final in Sydney. Barry and Mark will surely acknowledge the huge part played by armless lead Lynda Bennett, who refused to let her formidable wheelchaired South African opponent get on top of her. Earlier on came the stellar performance by the inimitable Bev Budd on the carpet in Dunedin, where she missed a National Club Singles title by the narrowest of margins. Bev’s opponent, Tayla Bruce, was her junior by roughly six decades or more and had starred at the most recent Nationals. These were two Silver Medal results to be very proud of.

The overall performance of our teams at Glasgow though demands closer analysis than the vague pass mark given to them by the media. The results from the Mens’ team was mediocre, and, when put in the context of the last five Commonwealth Games the picture that emerges is frankly woeful. The challenge posed by the greens is real but no excuse, given the extensive preparations that were funded and provided this time, including travel by a full squad for practice at the Kelvingrove complex some months previously. Ali Forsyth has the record to warrant retention, but his choice of the correct time to drive at the head must be more judicious. Shannon McIlroy is also worth further opportunities, although his loss of momentum at the crucial stages was very disappointing. The rest of the squad have to go, and in searching for replacements future selectors need to make a case to the all-powerful funding bodies that the best bowlers don’t always fit in the more youthful bracket. Michael Kernoghan, Rowan Brassey and, (dare I say it?) Gary Lawson, would form the basis of a much stronger side. On the Women’s side, the picture is somewhat more encouraging. Jo Edwards is probably our best ever female bowler and her status is beyond question, while Val Smith disappointed this time but has the track record. Rumours are swirling though that the two Nelson maestros may be close to calling it a day. The youthful image of the other three players and their taste of success will have delighted the grandees of Bowls New Zealand, but again there are players around who may be a little longer in the tooth but who deserve more of a chance. As I see it, the position of selection kingpin Dave Edwards must also be very shaky.

On the local scene, outgoing Manawatu President Phil Skoglund can’t be allowed to depart the scene without addition to his many existing accolades. Let’s just reflect that we have here a member of the Bowls Hall of Fame who was so highly regarded thirty years back that a publishing company previously devoted exclusively to Rugby was prepared to publish his biography. This was one of only three bios of bowlers to have appeared in this country so far. That Phil was prepared to step up to the plate as President so much later when he saw his sport in need is a measure of the man. It was obvious from the newspaper column which he wrote previously that he had a clear view of the desired path ahead, and although not everyone was ever going to agree with him, nobody doubted the astuteness of his thinking. Thank you, Phil, from every bowler in the Manawatu! The Centre’s AGM threw up the scary prospect of it being simply too expensive for our sides to compete at the top level this season, but again it was Phil Skoglund who argued for a stay of execution until all possibilities of funding are exhausted. We in the Manawatu can only wonder why our centrally located venues have now been abandoned in favour of Christchurch where accommodation is notoriously expensive. It was a little disappointing too to see another of Phil’s positive initiatives disappear under the weight of parochialism. This was the idea of combining our Interclub with Wanganui, which recognised the fact that the number of high class competitive players across both Centres is probably fewer than many bigger Centres, and the travel involved was reasonable. In this case at least the negativity came primarily from the River City, where several leading players boycotted the concept before it really had a chance.

Manawatu bowlers will have been saddened by the recent death of popular Terrace End identity, Peter Gosley, who passed away suddenly in Fiji.

Thanks Denis.

Update 1st August 2014.

SILVER SMILES: The New Zealand para-bowls triple of (from left) Mark Noble, Barry Wynks and Lynda Bennett show off their silver medals.
Well done team.
It was a great game to watch.

You can read a report on the game here.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/commonwealth-games/other-events/10335337/Para-bowls-silver-medal-for-New-Zealand-triple

Update 12^th May 2014.

Te Raki Cup.

For 81 years now this cup has been played for. I heard someone say that this may be one of the oldest challenges in the Manawatu.

So, it was fitting that Doug and Brent called on two of the more senior members of both clubs to participate in the presentation of the cup to the Winners. 

Ivy from Takaro and Barry from Northern.

It was a great day for bowls. Warm and sunny, no wind and good company.

At the lunch break when we all sat down to a nice hot meal provided by the Takaro club, the score was 8 to 6. Northern, with their nose just in front.

Northern pulled away in the second session to win 20 to 8.

Thanks Takaro for a very enjoyable day.

Update 28^th April 2014.

The final tournament for the 2013 – 2014 bowling season was played on Saturday.

The opportunity was taken to play the postponed G and G McKenzie mixed drawn pairs tournament. Gwen turned on the weather and it was played in warm, sunny and near windless conditions. Perfect! Thanks Gwen.

Due to a mis-match in the numbers who had entered it was necessary to have a couple of men pairs but in keeping with the winners over the last 14 years or so the winners this year were still a true mixed pair. Congratulations Sue and Ray.

Gwen was also the official photographer on the day. See below. 

(Click on the photo to make it bigger.)

Update 31st March 2014.

Sunday saw the annual competition between Wanganui East and the Northern Club.

The weather was good and the hospitality great.

Northern was leading going into the lunch break but Wanganui East came back in the afternoon session. The result being an honourable 20 all draw.

Here are a couple of pics. Click them to make them a bit bigger.

Update 25^th March 2014.

Congratulations to Northern’s Woman’s second division interclub team in defending their New Zealand title. For the second time are New Zealand Champions. 

Commiserations to the Division A men’s team who finished a very close and very creditable second.

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

Manawatu results at last weekend’s National Interclub finals amounted to a pretty solid follow-up to the recent successes in the Hexagonal competition. The Northern men couldn’t have gone closer to pulling off the big one with it all coming down to the last minute action witnessed by the crowd around the Palmerston North back green. They were watching Terry Johnson come agonisingly close to nailing the win over former BlackJack Jamie Hill that would have clinched the title for Northern. Terry forced a draw in his usual deliberate and unflappable style, but unfortunately a win was required to deny the popular winners from Alexandra in the far South. Meanwhile, at Northern, the local Women’s side were adding another credit to their long list of achievements by winning the B Grade Women’s title. Next weekend sees the culmination of the representative season with our Men’s and Women’s sides looking well prepared to pursue their respective National Inter-Centre titles. This event invites entries from all Centres, so no-one has pre-qualified and no-one has been eliminated, thus making form on the day and over the crucial weekend all-important.

As a former selector, I know only too well that picking the Masters team each year is a real challenge and the teams selected are often contentious. This is because the over 60 age-group for both Men and Women is an area where often the best players don’t necessarily overshadow the others, and there is considerable depth of worthy contenders. These players aren’t necessarily top performers in Centre events, and then the selector has to be aware of new arrivals into this more venerable age-group. This year Neil Gordon was such a player, and eagle-eyed Selector Terry Puklowski was able use him well as Skip of the Triples. Both Men’s and Women’s teams finished runners-up in their respective tournaments ,which is a very creditable result. Wellington and Hutt Valley field separate sides in these much anticipated events, and I know that Taranaki, Hawkes Bay and Gisborne-East Coast remain disappointed that they don’t have a starter’s spot in these events or an equivalent tournament locally.  Our runner-up results were both very much a solid team performance with outstanding contributions coming from Singles player Bev Budd for the Women and the Eric Watson/Ron Henn Pair for the Men. Eric has a long and distinguished record in this event, as has Brian Henn, who took on the challenging  Singles berth this time.

For a club to reach 125 years of existence while still strong and in good heart is a worthy achievement, and this impressive milestone has just been marked by our oldest club in Palmerston North. Neil Richardson mentioned at the excellent dinner which marked the occasion that the club has always excelled in the three key areas of quality greens, quality administration and quality competition for those so inclined, and this is very true. I know that I’m proud to be a member of this outstanding club because the really important things are always done and done well. This was exemplified by the way in which longest serving members and Life Members were paid due respect at the dinner. Bruce Heaphy is currently the longest playing member, and it was remarkable to hear him recall playing a casual game on the club greens in far-off days as a mere youth when the greens were located elsewhere in town. This game occurred in 1950, before even Centre President Phil, who was in attendance, might have sneaked in for a game at Northern when the older members weren’t looking. It’s worth recalling that in those days younger players were strongly frowned upon, with many clubs refusing members under the age of thirty.

Full marks to Philip Skoglund for his wonderful initiative in organising the centre’s first fast Fives tournament last week. This is a format that clearly satisfies the often stated need to speed the game up, and what we saw of it on TV late last year was genuinely exciting. I’m sure we’ll see more fast Fives next season, but the real challenge is to somehow encourage this sort of thing without alienating the traditional players who enjoy the longer formats. The ongoing pre-eminence of the Taranaki Open Fours is sufficient evidence of that!

Final mention must go to Barry Wynks and Mark Noble, who by all accounts performed well enough in Melbourne recently to make it clear they will be genuine medal contenders at Glasgow later in the year. This is no surprise in the Manawatu, and it was great to see Mark making a huge contribution to his Club’s fine performance last weekend, thereby overcoming the obvious difficulties of switching between greens in different countries and running at dramatically differing speeds.

Denis Duffy

Thanks Denis.

Update 11^th March 2014.

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

The Bowls Napier greens are the scene this week of six consecutive days of regional eliminations under the ‘pathways’ concept. At time of writing, Manawatu has already had significant success. The top Men’s Interclub side from Northern and the ‘B Grade’ Women’s team from the same club both earned a spot in the National Interclub  finals weekend to be held in Palmerston North later this month. A journey to the deep South awaits Pat Horgan’s  Palmerston North Men’s Four who will try for a National Club title at the Dunedin indoor complex in June. Further aspirants for Dunedin will hopefully emerge as the week progresses. While congratulating our successful players, several background aspects of the competition are points of discussion. Firstly, our ‘pathways’ players will face major hurdles to surmount in their pursuit of national glory because match play on artificial indoor surfaces is not available locally.  The Heretaunga complex in Hastings the only one that is not located far from the Manawatu. It’s also acknowledged that the region in which Manawatu competes is not one of New Zealand’s strongest, meaning that most of their opponents will have battled through a potentially tougher field to earn their place. The ‘pathways’ concept was designed to give all players the chance to play their way to a national title without the expense of attending the traditional Nationals held in the post-Christmas period. It’s not quite that simple though, with endless debate about the costs of this system and consequently the best dates and venues to use from an economical point of view. Long gone are the halcyon days when money was poured liberally into the sport by a certain cigarette company, whose representatives would even dispense their product cost- free around the greens during top competition! The status of the ultimate champions is also under debate. From the outset, winners have earned a full national title and a point towards a potential Gold Star, but Gary Lawson and others have championed the argument that ‘pathways’ titles should not be recognised equally with the traditional tournament ones. Putting all that aside, local bowlers will be right behind our representatives who, in the Horgan team’s case anyway, sneaked through on countback by the narrowest of margins. This is not uncommon where only four teams are involved in a cut-throat competition which almost requires a mathematician on the bank to keep up with the constantly changing match differentials that often make all the difference at the end.

There was also a need for accurate maths last week in the engine room of the Palmerston North club’s 30th Golden Oldies tournament. In this case though, Centre Secretary Vern Sixtus and his trusty laptop computer ensured that results were dealt with accurately and speedily. There was a suggestion at one point that a certain former national president who was officiating at the Terrace End greens may have made an error! A speedy return journey to headquarters to locate the relevant scorecard proved that the error in fact lay with the skips, who had signed a card showing the reverse of the correct result. This incident underlined the responsibility of the players to keep accurate records in an event where often only the finest of margins separate the competitors and thus can make the difference when it comes to the prize money. This tournament is the biggest run by a club in the country, proving that there must be several keys to its ongoing success. One is the distribution of prize money, which is well stratified, avoiding the temptation to put too much emphasis on a large purse for the ‘A’ Section. Levin’s Ian Mahoney played impressively to wrap up his second title in three years, this time with a radically altered team featuring the addition of two former Manawatu players in David Walker and ‘the Lizard’, a.k.a. Trevor Tuatara.

Denis Duffy

Thanks Denis.