Last weekend was the Bowls North Harbour Champ of Champ fours, and what a great weekend it was!!
Our Women’s team continue the great run of our women’s teams by winning the final.
And the Men performed exceptionally well to make the final going down to Riverhead.
The women played at Waimauku on Saturday and Mairangi Bay on Sunday with the men playing at Mairangi Bay both days. The weather was not great with squally showers and gusty winds. Our women’s team was Gaye Horne, Judi Farkash, Glenda Rountree and Rosemary Nicol. Judi was a late replacement for Joy Watkinson who tested positive with covid on Thursday.
On Saturday our women’s team had two strong wins to qualify for the semi-final, beating Warkworth 19-9 and Browns Bay 18-9. They played Orewa in the semi, skipped by Elizabeth Ring. Orewa started really well and were up 4-0 after four ends. After seven ends it was 6 all. Michelle Kean was leading really well for Orewa, but Rosemary found her rhythm and the rest of the team followed. It was 11-6 to Mairangi after nine ends. The following four ends were tight, after thirteen ends it was 12-10 to Mairangi. The fourteenth end was the last as time was up on the clock. Our team were down on the last end by three shots, both Glenda and Judi came into the head with weighted shots to sit on the shot bowls, unfortunately both missed. Now four down Gaye came in with a similar shot – she did hit a shot bowl but her bowl deflected to the side of the rink, unlucky.
Elizabeth drew another shot, Mairangi now five down on the head, Gaye played an amazing skips shot, coming into the head, this time she got the jack which went sideways, sitting next to Gaye’s first bowl. The Orewa players stood with their mouths open, they couldn’t believe it. Mairangi Bay win 13-10 in a very exciting game.
The final was against a very experienced Takapuna team – Keiko Kurohara, Adele Ineson, Lyn Calver and Jan Calcott.
This time Mairangi started well leading 5-0 after two ends. They were leading 9-3 after five ends but then gave away a four on the sixth end, 9-7, game on. After eight ends it was 11-10, very close. On the ninth end Takapuna were holding three and looking to take the lead but with Gaye’s last bowl, she played another great shot to kill the end. On the next two ends Mairangi grabbed a two on both ends to lead 15-10. On the twelfth end one to Takapuna 15-12, a two to Mairangi on the thirteenth end 17-11. The fourteenth end was the last, Takapuna tried weighted shots trying to move the jack or kill the end but the local team picked up a three to win 20-11.
They played so well with all players contributing and playing like a team should, and really deserved the win.
This was a first centre championship for Rosemary (year 5), Glenda Rountree (year 5), Judi Farkash (year 7) and the third title for Gaye (year 6).
A GREAT RESULT FOR Mairangi Bay.
Our Men’s team was Peter Orgias, Kevin Robertson, Leon Wech and Allan Langley. They had two good wins on Saturday beating Northcote 20-4 in Round 2 and Orewa 16-9 in the quarter final.
They all played very good bowls using their local knowledge to their advantage.
Sunday in the semi-final they played Mahurangi East, which included David Payne’s brother Phillip. There was little between them early on with some very close ends, and after six ends it was 6 all. Mairangi picked up a one on the seventh, a three on the eighth and a one on the tenth. Mahurangi got a one on the ninth and then a three on the 11th, 10 all. The last three ends Mairangi picked up a two, five and a three, giving them a 20-10. Again the whole team contributed at different times.
Now Riverhead in the final, they beat Milford in the quarter final 12-9, then beat Helensville in the semi-final 18-8. Hellensville had beaten Browns Bay 21-9 in the quarter final.
Mairangi were down 5-0 after two ends, down 5-7 after six ends and after 10 they were down 6-11. It was not that Mairangi were bowling badly it was just a case of Riverhead were playing excellent bowls. When Mairangi had the shot Riverhead would beat that shot or move the jack. After the thirteenth it was 6-17, and they shook hands after the fourteenth, down 6-18.
Well done to our lads to get this far but they all acknowledge Riverhead was too good on the day in the very testing conditions.
That win gave Riverhead three Champ of Champ victories in the men’s, Pairs, Triples and Fours.
A great weekend for our four’s teams.
A big thank you to our members who set up our club on both days, John Gledhill, Kevin Cameron, Colleen Rice and Phyl Humphries, (apologies if I have missed someone).
Biggest thanks goes to all the supporters, those that ventured to Waimauku on Saturday and to those who were at Mairangi Bay on Saturday and Sunday.
There were too many to mention, but it was an excellent turnout and they were rewarded with our two teams in the finals.
Also well done to Event Director Garth Partridge who ran a very smooth tournament.
Report by Alan Daniels.