BOWLS - Northland bowlers shine at Maori tournament

With Garry Houlahan
Success for Northland at the NZ Maori Bowls tournament played over Waitangi Day weekend.
In the men's event, the winners were a composite team of Graeme Lawrence (Arapohue), Peter Doreen (Kaitaia), Cedric Campbell (Kaitaia) and Dan Collett (Te Kopuru).
The women's results were even better with the winners being Sophie Anderson (Onerahi), Caroline Downs (Kensington), Margaret Walters (Opononi) and Pam Davies (Orewa) while third place went to Betty Pouwhare (Hikurangi), Girl Reweti (Hikurangi), Dinkie Fischer (Kamo) and Maureen Rahui (Kensington). Well done everyone.
* Mixed Sixes popular
Bowls Whangarei held their annual Invitation Mixed Sixes on Waitangi Day and a field of 84 bowlers turned up.
The club takes individual entries and then draws the teams so you can end up playing with people you have never met before. This leads to a good social feeling which is helped along by a champagne lunch.
Winners of the tournament were Gary Herbert (Bowls Whangarei), Johanna Cross (Kensington), Peg Akast (Mt Manaia), Madeline Yovich (Kamo), Laurie Le Grice (Whangarei RSA) and Stan Bartlett (Bowls Whangarei). They had seven wins from their eight games and scored 90 points and won 49 ends.
The runners-up were Ray Martin (Mt Manaia), Mike Bentley (Kensington), Laura Hill (Bowls Whangarei), Val Reed (Onerahi), Audrey Fry (Onerahi), and Rema Fyfe (Kensington). They also had seven wins from their eight games but scored just 68 points and 45 ends.
Third went to Fred Kirk (Bowls Whangarei), Murray Hall (Mt Manaia), Nancy Jujnovich (Kensington), Ellie Van Haaften (Kensington), Carol Horan (Maungatapere) and Colin Booth (Hikurangi). They had six wins, 81 points and 42 ends.
A very enjoyable day.
* Completion delayed
Last weekend was designated as a club championship weekend but not all clubs bothered as many players were absent at Maori Bowls or travelling to the Chartered Clubs tournament which began on Monday.
Others just couldn't stand the humid weather and flagged it away to play later on when it is cooler. Some results from those who did play are Kamo singles Alistair Trimmer who defeated Neil Lett, Whangarei singles John Jamieson who defeated Gary Herbert, Whangarei RSA singles Warren McLeish who defeated Warren Taylor.
In the west Dargaville Triples won by Jim Vallance, Mickey Marinkovich and Tom Ker retained both lives in beating Alan Rakich, Steve Mrksich and Bob Goodyer. Good to see Tom Ker back on deck after a period off through ill health.
Onerahi and Kensington both played singles but still have the finals to play. At Onerahi John Dunn and Gordon Bond will do battle while at Kensington Sam Nelson and Joe Thorburn are the remaining players. These matches will be completed at a later date.
* Waitangi winners
Another Waitangi Day tournament was held at Dargaville and there were two teams with four wins at the end of the day.
First prize went to Eric Smitton, Julie Heatley and Evelyn Vranjes who had 24 ends to go with their four wins while second placing went to Tottie Rakich, Melva Sandford and Don Munn with four wins and 23 ends. Third were Ray Mayall, Don Heatley and Bob Goodyer who had three wins and 25 ends.
* Veterans Day
This Friday is Veterans Day and the annual get-together and bowls tournament is to be held at Bowls Whangarei. You do not have to enter full teams, individual entries will be accepted and teams drawn.
A salad lunch is provided and this is a good day for those mature bowlers to meet up with others of a similar vintage and tell a few lies about how good things were back in their day. Contact Robin Steele on 437-2202 or just turn up on the day.
* Coaching success
Coming up on Friday, February 27, is the Coaching Association Triples tournament, which is to be played at Kamo.
This is an any combination event but no more than one skip per team is allowed and they encourage the inclusion of a 1-5 year bowler in each team. This format gets around the age-old stacked team problem and also brings the newer bowlers into competition play.
The coaches have done a great job over recent years and it is no coincidence that our women players, who have embraced coaching wholeheartedly, have enjoyed much success while our men players who have been reluctant to accept that perhaps they don't know it all, have not had the same results.
Please help out the coaches if you can and contact Dave Dalton on 437-7089 with your entry.
* Still time to enter
You can still get an entry in for the Executive Fours if you are quick. This is to be played at Hikurangi next Tuesday so contact the centre secretary or match committee chair pronto.