Update 7^th January 2014

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

Sophie Fisher’s selection in leadership positions within the New Zealand age group women’s team to travel to the Trans-Tasman in March is the first national recognition to come the way of a Manawatu player in quite some time. Sophie is very much a model for the younger brigade in New Zealand Bowls in terms of both ability and general demeanour. Her selection also amounts to a well deserved recognition of the Himatangi Beach club. This little club on the fringe of the Centre area has staged a spirited revival of numbers and enthusiasm in recent seasons, and as more of their members participate in Centre events, their playing strength is growing rapidly.

The annual Inter-Centre Quadrangular was staged by Kapiti over last weekend. The Manawatu men’s and women’s teams both performed solidly without being able to seriously challenge the dominance by Wellington, always the team to beat in this event. The women were always competitive, but couldn’t find the consistency  to challenge a formidable Wellington side, who won comfortably. A 21-5 Singles win by Mere Fryer was a highlight, but selector Viv Lozell was left with plenty to think about before the crucial hexagonal event here in the Manawatu at the end of February. Playing numbers selected for that fixture will reduce from 14 to 10. The men’s performance was similar, with Wellington again occupying the winner’s circle. Shane Rogers, having served a period of penance for past indiscretions, impressed in his Singles berth, beating Wellington’s youthful star Euan Wong. Pat Horgan’s Four led the way though, with a dramatic seven shot haul on the final end allowing them to douse Wellington and complete an unbeaten outing. In the Horgan team, Graeme Cooley was outstanding, Chris Barrett as steady as ever, and Dean Gilshinan may well be ready now for a move to one of the other disciplines, with greater responsibility and more bowls to use.

Brian Little’s well performed Palmerston North side coasted into post-section play at the Taranaki Open, only to be decisively beaten first-up by ex-Manawatu man Dean Elgar, now playing out of West End. The Elgar team included last year’s Manawatu representative lead, Cameron Nairne. Cameron was impressive throughout the tournament playing at no 2 for Elgar. He is a young player with real promise and will surely be seen in action in Taranaki colours in the forthcoming Hexagonal. The strong Takaro outfit skipped by Mark Noble also disappeared in the first round when they allowed a team from the faraway Sunshine Coast to somehow run them down from behind over the last few ends. The well performed Settle brothers from Hinuera won the iconic event after foul weather forced the final to be shifted after 15 ends to the indoor facility at Paritutu – a real challenge for the players and an unprecedented situation. Brian Little’s team lost a final played entirely indoors, but this interrupted one finally finished around 7.30pm.

Denis Duffy

Thanks Denis.

Update 7^th January 2014

Happy New Year everyone.

Sadly, I understand that the Centre Any Gender Triples scheduled for Anniversary weekend has been abandoned due to a lack of entries.

Good bowling to those of you who are taking part in the Hokowhitu Classic.

Bowling On has a successor!

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

I’ve agreed to write regularly about our sport at least till the end of this season. Most of us are only too well aware of the huge problems Bowls now faces, primarily in the form of the seemingly unstoppable slipping away of membership numbers and consequently tournament entries throughout the country. My two predecessors in this role have spent time analysing these crucial issues very accurately and searching for solutions which sadly remain elusive. I intend to ignore that particular ‘elephant in the room’ and focus on many of the very positive aspects of the game that we all enjoy at various levels and for various reasons. It’s just a real shame that so many sports- minded people haven’t yet realised the challenges available in Bowls and continue to undervalue it.

The recently completed Men’s Open Pairs experimented with a timing and format which worked very well. Full marks to the Centre Executive! I remain hooked on the two-life system, but this event offered five substantial matches to every entrant and, when the ‘nitty-gritty’ came around, a credible format for the knockout stages. I applaud the seeding of the draw, which gave the best performed teams a possible edge in the knockout draw. Pat Horgan, Terry Johnson and partners may not agree, as both disappeared immediately, but it’s that vulnerability of the top players that keeps the lesser lights out there trying! The defending Horgan/Gilshinan combination in particular drew a real ‘banana-skin’ game against very dangerous locals Brian Looker and Scruff Anderson who had sneaked in as bottom qualifiers. The ultimate victory to our recently ordained Commonwealth Games reps in Barry Wynks and Mark Noble was a fine and timely achievement. Mark is now really starting to show us why he is one of the most decorated bowlers in the history of the Wellington centre, while Barry brings his unique brand of cunning and intense competitiveness to the game. No detail relative to the green, his opponents or his own performance escapes Barry, and I’m sure he will go on to add multiple bars to his Gold Star in the future.

Results from the Nationals become more ignored by the media every year with the finals of Singles and Pairs not rating a mention on TV1 News and being drowned by cricket on radio.  Feona Sayles was there though, and once again she featured in the latter stages of both Singles and Pairs. Well done, Feona! It was great to see teenage finalists, even if both lost, in the Men’s and Women’s Singles.  Ali Forsyth’s third Singles victory, thanks to a sensational last bowl, provides further proof that he has an all-round game at at a high enough level to put him already somewhere amongst our best ever players. Three Singles titles now puts him equal to Professor Maxwell Walker, but still two adrift of our own Phil Skoglund.

That uniquely appealing tournament, the Taranaki Open Fours, is now on the horizon, and I know the organisers are very disappointed to have dropped another twenty teams in a year where they hoped to capitalise on hosting last year’s Nationals. Manawatu is sending nine teams and two have a big chance. Takaro’s Wynks and Noble, with the two Terrys, Curtis and Rossiter, fell only at the semi-final stage last year to Brian Little’s Palmerston North team who have reached two finals in the last three years. Both are returning intact and with intent!

Manawatu Men’s selector Terry Puklowski, has yet to finalise his teams for the Quadrangular at Kapiti later this month, but Viv Lozell has announced the following Women’s teams.

A Team: Mere Fryer in Singles. Sheryn Blake and Georgie Kahui-Rogers in Pairs, Chris Quinn, Liz Rossiter, Tina Vartha and Lynlea Rogers in Fours.

B Team: Janeen Noble in Singles, Anna Davis and Juliette Mills in Pairs, Sue Meyer Julie Palmer, Jacinta Cousins and Robyn McGregor in Fours.

Denis Duffy

Thanks Denis.