Hawke's Bay strikes first gold at national tenpin bowling champs

Manager Helen Green with Cole Sixtus, Caron Emmerson, Hamish McGrigor, coach Murray Bicknell, Becky Baxter and Shane Sharplin at Superstrike Tenpin Bowling, Hastings. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay's tenpin bowling team are still counting their lucky pins after striking gold at the National Teams Championships in Porirua.

Team member Caron Emmerson said the entire squad surprised themselves by bringing home the trophy for the first time.

"It was a great achievement, for a few of us it was our first big tournament," she said.

"They choose a new team every year to represent Hawke's Bay and this time they picked right and picked the winning ones."

Hawke's Bay bowled their way to the overall title after Emmerson and Becky Baxter placed third in the doubles; Emmerson, Murray Bicknell and Cole Sixtus came fourth in trios and
the entire team placed second in the Bakers Team Games.

A very proud manager, Helen Green, isn't sparing a thought for the teams they vanquished as this was her 14th attempt at winning the championships.

"I've been part of the Hawke's Bay team 14 times, 13 as a player, and this year I was the manager and finally we won," she said.

Hawke's Bay ended the tournament in March with a score of 1208, 85 ahead of second-placed Counties Comet and 99 ahead of Waitakere Piha.

Emmerson, who's been playing the game for almost 26 years, said the win was momentous because it was usually the teams from Auckland and Waitakere that reigned supreme in the competition.

"We upset the applecart this year," she said.

Bowling is in Emmerson's blood, with her mother being a part of bowling clubs for as long as she can remember.

She said it's not the most common sport but it's something she's good at.

"It's a mental sport as well as slightly physical.

"I love the challenge of trying to get that strike every ball," she added.