Update 28^th Jan 2013

Bowling On 28^th Jan 2013

A great month for Manawatu Bowls culminated at the weekend with Brian Little's Palmerston North team finishing runners-up in the Mens Taranaki Open.

Little's team comprised Wairarapa's leading bowler Ian Monaghan at three with the Henn Brothers Ron and Brian at two and lead. It was a bitter sweet moment as the same combination were runners-up two years ago and were outplayed by 2006 winner Grant Anderson's powerful Alton team.

Little had to get past another Manawatu combination in the semi-final. Skipped by Mark Noble and including Terry Curtis and Barry Wynks from Takaro, with Gil Candy an old playing partner of Noble from his Wellington days leading. The writing was probably on the wall when the quality of bowls in that semi was a step or two down from what Anderson was showing against John Reid a Paritutu local.

However rather than engage in any level of self flagellation both teams should be commended for getting that far in the hardest tournament to win in the country. Some 190 teams had been eliminated by that stage and the only way to lose a final is be in it.

• Meanwhile selector Eric Watson's plans were upset by the absence of Noble and Wynks when his top seven contested the annual quadrangular tournament at Masterton on the same day. The four was disrupted most with Philip Skoglund moving to skip the pair and Watson and manager Terry Puklowski filling the middle positions in the four. Manawatu finished third behind Wellington and Kapiti with Wellington looking most authoritative. The Manawatu second seven won their event so there is plenty of back-up available.

Meanwhile the Manawatu women's seven were only a point behind in second place to a star studded Wellington team. Manawatu's second team were also runner-up to Wellington albeit a distance behind.

A good shakedown with March's inter centre in mind and a further match has been arranged with Hawkes Bay and Taranaki before then.

• Northern's Hospice fundraising tournament has been rescheduled to Saturday 16 March 2013. This was caused by a clash with Regional Interclub play-offs which involve 24 Northern members. It is one of the great days of the season and last year over $7000 was raised for the Hospice. Make an effort to get a team in and it will be fantastic if we can fill three greens for the day. Organiser Barry Gush will also welcome donations towards raffles or their auction that follows the event.

• Champion of champion events commence this coming weekend with fours on Saturday at Northern (both genders) and pairs on Sunday at Terrace End. Both events should get down to finals this weekend.

• The Centre has collated some statistics from clubs on the numbers playing club championships and there would seem to be less interest in the bigger clubs where a smaller percentage of players have competed than in the minnows. This might well be an indication that lesser players feel they are only cannon fodder in the stronger clubs. As an example teams skipped by Pat Horgan and Chris Barrett were the finalists in all team events at Palmerston North and there is less and less opportunity for a bolter.

Johnston Park only had three women contest their senior singles but that wouldn't indicate a diminution of quality. Two in the form of Robyn Schischka and Lyn Jensen were winner and runner-up in last year's Manawatu Open singles. For the strongest women's team in the centre it was surprising only eight players contested the Northern singles. They have more than that number in the Manawatu team. Even if you don't particularly like singles there is no better practice for one's own game.

Good bowling.

Tony Jensen

Thanks Tony.

  

Regional Interclub Sunday 10^th March at Napier

With the club having three teams in the regional finals the Executive Committee decided that all three teams would be travelling together as a club. (No exceptions)

A bus will be arranged for all players and managers leaving Saturday.

Supporters list to fill the extra seats is on notice board.

Hopefully, the cost of Bus travel will be free but this is to be confirmed at a later date.

(Even if it is not, it will only be a small expense.)

Accommodation costs will be approximately $55 per head for the overnight stay.  

To enable the final arrangements to be made you need to have your name one the board by Friday evening.

It sounds like a great trip; I believe that there are plans afoot to have a bit of a Northern versus Napier, bowls challenge as well.

Get those names in quick.

Update 24^th Jan 2013

Grants Corner to Corner is back and its better!

The competition will now run on a FRIDAY night. It starts this Friday 25^th January from 5.30pm. If you have not had a go then this will be your chance to try it out while relaxing at the club on a Friday night. There are FOUR more Friday nights for you to win prizes, which includes your chance to compete in a regional and then National final which could win the club $3000. Both playing members AND social members can take part – so head down to the club this Friday to have fun with this competition. 

Bowling On 15^th Jan 2013

Manawatu Bowling Centre will run a Men's Open Triples this coming weekend but the folly of running such an event against the Taranaki Open has been exposed with a very disappointing entry.

Only 16 teams have entered and this includes two entries from other Centres. The answer should be obvious that when 64 Manawatu men's bowlers will be playing in the Taranaki Open from Monday they won't be entering a tournament at home. That Manawatu tournament requires them to be available on the Sunday - the day they need to travel. If a bit of thought was put into it section play could have been played on the Saturday and post section at a later date. That way many of the Taranaki travellers would have entered to get a good workout before their tournament.

This poor scheduling follows hard on the decision to run an any gender triples against the Nationals at New Year which attracted only 14 teams. Palmerston North and Northern would normally provide the bulk of entries to such an event but there are only two from each while Johnston Park provides four and Terrace also has two entries. I would be surprised if the tournament winners do not come from the teams skipped by Pat Horgan, Brian Looker, Chris Barrett and Paul Tregoweth. Horgan has Ross Ellery and Graeme Cooley in front of him who all performed well at the Nationals as did Tregoweth's front of Shane Rogers and Grant Simms. Looker won the event last season with Scruff Anderson and Clayton Simpson who are all back and Barrett has Steve Toms and the promising Dean Gilsnan playing for him.

Some quality there but a soft centre title on offer for some team.

• Hokowhitu ran their very popular mixed classic last week complete with a birthday cake to celebrate the 21st running of the event. A capacity field of 96 (24 fours) competed and the team dubbed the dream team - Kevin Suisted, Janeen Noble, Mere Fryer and Shane Rogers won first prize and the qualifying prize as well.

• Johnston Park ran a Pre Taranaki Fours tournament last weekend and attracted 56 players. Apart from a lot of good banter players loved the 25 end format and it re-affirms that fours is still a most popular game with competitive players.

• Two teams from the Manawatu that should be very competitive in Taranaki are those skipped by Barry Wynks (Takaro) and Palmerston North's Brian Little who still hopes to improve on his runners-up position from two years ago. The same players in the form of the Henn brothers Brian and Ron will join him along with Masterton's Ian Monahan. Wynks will have his regular team mate Terry Curtis with him but the other players from his original side will be missing. Lawrie Gordon was to lead until his premature passing and Terry Rossiter has also been unwell of late. Incidentally Wynks and Curtis won the Takaro pairs final at the weekend, an event that was originally to see Gordon as Wynks partner. Gary Ruane from Wellington and Mark Noble give Wynks four a real sound look.

Teams skipped by Warren Hausman, Craig Gush, Brian Schischka, Keith Walker, Jim Munn, Stephen Love and Don Sones will all have good chances of qualifying and as we all know anything can happen from there.

Good Bowling.

Tony Jensen.

Thanks Tony.