BOWLS - Big winners take all at champagne comp

WAITANGI Day saw Bowls Whangarei hold their popular Mixed Sixes competition, and a total of 84 players turned out to enjoy the day - and have a very pleasant champagne lunch.
The winners of the bowls were Charlie Jellick, Winnie Murray, Sydney Collier, Carol Horan, Ngaire Smith and Paul Mullane, who lost just one game of their eight to be clear-cut winners. They had seven wins, 41 ends and 74 points, and there were two teams on six wins.
Garry Whitham, Sally Dempsey, Barie Zouch, Dave Holwell (who celebrated his 86th birthday the day before), Peg Shepherd and Nola McDonald had 42 ends and 71 points to go with their six wins, while Garry Houlahan, Judy Hall, Lyall Monk, Madeline Yovich, Noel Shepherd and Bert Atkins came in third with 39 ends and 75 points.
* Sponsors tops in west
Over in the west, the Dargaville Bowling Club also held a tournament on Waitangi Day.
This was the Dorchester Finance Mixed Triples and the winners were Eric and Marg Smitton (the sponsors), plus Max Jones with four wins - 58 points and 26 ends ahead of a Te Kopuru team of Brian Gribble, Jack McKenzie and Raewyn Seymour who also had four wins but only 44 points and 22 ends. In third spot were a local Dargaville team of Allan McKinnon, Melva Sandford and Don Munn with three wins, 34 points and 23 ends.
In a move well received by all, the winners donated their prizes back to the club.
* Rain no dampener
Centre Champion of Champion Fours were decided over the weekend. Play started at Bowls Whangarei on Saturday but overnight rain saw the tournament transferred to Kensington - evidently it hadn't rained just half a mile up the road.
There were two finals in the women's event, with Hikurangi going into the first game and possible final against Hakaru and promptly losing, forcing another game between the two teams.
This time it was Hikurangi who came through to take the title 12-10 in a close match. Sue Wightman, the Hakaru skip, had a chance to pick up three shots on the final end to take the game but missed by the barest of margins. This win gave Thelma McDonald her second Gold Star, and her history dates back to a win in the Centre Pairs in the 1979-80 season, so she has been performing at the top level for many years. Well done Thelma.
In the men's event it was the strong Onerahi team which came through winners, beating Maungaturoto 15-9 in the final.
The winning team was skipped by John Dunn, who had Gordon Bond, Warwick Edgar and Bill Starkie with him - the match gave Gordon Bond centre title number 30 and Gold Star number six.
Maungaturoto were up 7-1 in the early stages, but experience told in the long run and the wise old heads of the Onerahi team pulled them through to the win.
Skip John Dunn was in outstanding form, and regularly took shots off the Maungaturoto combination when they seemed to be in a commanding position.
It was good, however, to see Maungaturoto get through to the finals - especially with junior bowler Kevin Robinson skipping the team. The club will be a force to be reckoned with in years to come. Maungaturoto made it to the final by beating another of our smaller clubs in Te Kopuru, while Onerahi defeated Kamo to get through.
* Bowl for a good cause
Another charity day of bowls is to be played at Bowls Whangarei on February 22. Each year the club selects a different charity and raises funds on the day to help them along.
This year it is the turn of the Kidney Foundation, and with a number of bowlers falling victim to kidney disease, this is an ideal opportunity to help the Foundation out. Contact club President Lenore Jamieson on (09) 459 7148 to enter a team of mixed fours.
* Support the Centre
There are still a few vacancies in the Centre Executive Fours, to be played on February 19 at Onerahi.
This tournament helps run the Centre and if it is not a success your capitation fees may go up next year, so get a team together. It is any combination, so there are plenty of options for you.