It has been an extraordinary month for close competitions which started with the King Country championship fours.
Brendon Hand, Betty Herbert, Margaret Taylor, and Russell Vincent (Te Awamutu Indoor Bowls Club) won the King Country championship fours.
Each of the seven teams played four games with the object of scoring at least five points to proceed to post section play.
Two points were gained for a win and one point for a draw.
Considering the relative strengths of the teams on paper, it was a surprise that no team managed to win four games and that only one team managed to win three games.
Brendon Hand, Betty Herbert, Margaret Taylor, and Russell Vincent (Te Awamutu Indoor Bowls Club) won and for all players, it was their first centre title.
Five teams ended up with two wins, and to find a runner-up up a nominated player from each of those teams played one bowl to a jack with the closest deciding that position.
Bruce Grace, Arthur Pitcher, Susan Grace and Diane Udy were the successful players.
Then last week Te Awamutu Indoor Bowls Club held the first of its triples tournaments with 16 teams entered and none of them winning four games.
Six teams had three wins, and the placings were decided on a countback of ends, which saw John Whitehead, Betty Herbert, and Russell Vincent take first place with 19 ends.
Three of the other teams all had 18 ends. To find the second and third placings, a tally of points scored was required. Lyn Martin, Carol Lovell, and Richard Beaumont, with 34, were second, and Jim Hill, Marlene Walker, and Margaret Taylor, with 28, were third.
Two days later the Ōtorohanga club held its monthly fours tournament with 14 teams entered and again no team managed four wins.
As three teams all had the same number of ends, it came down to a count back of points scored to find that Lyn Martin, Yvonne Longman, Carol Houghton and Sheryl Whitehead were the winners with Eric Drabble, Paul Walker, Margaret Taylor and John Hansen runners-up. These teams played each other in the final game, with Lyn’s team winning convincingly.
Bruce Grace, Olga Barnes, Arthur Pitcher and Glen Appleton won the Waipā Club’s Cavanagh Cup. Teams from Hamilton, Taupō, Ōtorohanga, Tokoroa and Te Awamutu competed.
Waikato is about to become the focus for the outdoor bowls’ game.
There will be no entrants from the Ōtorohanga club, but secretary John Appleton says the Waikato champs will provide a pathway to higher honours.
The Waikato Area Championships are being held between April 26 and May 10 although the exact location is yet to be confirmed.
Winners from more than 23 bowling clubs within the Waikato and north King Country areas are eligible and could then go on to compete at national championships in July.
Lawn bowls, like indoor bowls, needs young blood to prosper.
“It is difficult to persuade younger players that the sport is as challenging as it is and I am not sure how we change this mindset,” John said.
Age is not a barrier to participation but, as a competition requires players to walk two-three kilometres and deliver roughly 150 bowls, a good level of fitness is required in addition to strategy and skill.
The team which won the Te Awamutu triples tournament, from left Russell Vincent, Betty Herbert, and John Whitehead, who is King Country centre president.
