Champ of Champs fours: Poverty Bay, Gisborne clinch senior crowns

TOO GOOD: Gisborne’s (from left) Malcolm Trowell, Peter Clay, Arthur Hawes and Steve Goldsbury won the centre senior men’s champion of champion fours title. Pictures supplied

Bowls Gisborne East-Coast’s champion of champions men’s and women’s senior fours were decided at Gisborne Bowling Club.

In the senior women’s competition, Poverty Bay’s Anita Vaotuua (skip), Kathryn Flaugere (director), Jean Patterson (two) and Ngawai Turipa (lead) played awesome bowls throughout the tournament to claim the title with two lives intact.

It was a particularly memorable tournament for three of them — a first centre crown for Vaotuua, Turipa and Patterson.

Vaotuua’s crew beat Tolaga Bay then had a 15-5 win against Gisborne’s Carol Hawes (s), Tanya Harrison (d), Kym Brown (two) and Ginny Sherriff (l).

In their first game, Gisborne defeated Te Karaka’s Ngamiro Allen (s), Jasmine Merrick (d), Janet Baty (two) and Diane Murray (l) 12-11.

Te Karaka beat Tolaga Bay’s Joanne Atkins (skip), Sarah Brown, Bess Eyles and Mary Taingahue in the next round.

Both teams had already lost a life so Tolaga Bay were eliminated.

Te Karaka lost their second life in the next round against Gisborne.

The tournament resumed the next day with Poverty Bay facing Gisborne once again in a potential final.

It went to the wire. Gisborne needed shot on the last end to stay alive only for Vaotuua to produce a great draw shot to the head to clinch the win 14-13, and with it the title.

Five teams competed for the senior men’s champ of champs fours title —  Kahutia, Gisborne, Tolaga Bay, Gisborne and Wairoa.

After three rounds on the Saturday, Kahutia were the only team with two lives intact.

On Sunday, Kahutia’s July Hoepo-Williams (s), Leighton Shanks (d), George Vaotuua (two) and Willy Murray (l) lost a life to Gisborne’s Malcolm Trowell (s), Steve Goldsbury (d), Arthur Hawes (two) and Peter Clay (l).

Gisborne then beat Tolaga Bay’s Vern Marshall (s), Marcus Merrick (d), Mark Walker (two) and Ben Elkington (l) to set up a final with Kahutia.

It was a great battle despite the eventual scoreline.

Whenever Kahutia were holding shots, Hawes played extremely well to deny them and his efforts were complemented by Goldsbury or Trowell.

Clay also helped the team by getting them off to good starts.

Hoepo-Williams produced some superb run shots to pick up points for his team.

However, Gisborne were men on a massion and built up a big lead to win 24-7.

The Poverty Bay women’s and Gisborne men’s teams will go on to play in the National Champion of Champion Fours in Auckland from July 21 to 23.