Day 6: Father and son in semi-finals

Grant Hassall

Paritutu’s John and Aidan Zittersteijn are both into the semifinals of the 118th Taranaki men’s Open fours at West End this morning.

Both are playing No 3 in their sides, John for Brendon Walton and Aidan for Hamish Kape, in an excellent performance for the family.

Standing between the two Paritutu teams contesting the final this afternoon are two of the most difficult sides to conquer — defending champion Craig De Faria (West End) and Peter Belliss (Aramoho).

Walton’s side, which includes Trevor Johns and Gary Barber up front, beat the Kerikeri side of Mike Nasey, Jon Young, Maurice Picard and skip Jim Bullen 25-19 in the last of the quarterfinals to finish at after 7pm.

The scores were close throughout. Kerikeri led 19-18 after 22. But they loosened on the 23rd and dropped a five.

A further two on the next to Walton ended the hopes of what was a productive challenge from the north. Kape withstood a comeback from Dan Delany (Ellerslie) to prevail 28-22.

Kape’s side of Daryl Read, Kaylin Huwyler and Zittersteijn stormed out of the gates to lead 15-1 after eight ends in the quarterfinal. Three ends later, Delany and his side of Viliami Fifita, Graham King and Teo Turua had hit eight.

However, the drawing strength of Kape’s side saw them still in control at 21-9 after 15 ends. The Delany side began to scrap more. But a drawn four on end 20 to Kape made it 25-15.

Delany closed to 26-22 after 24 but there was no get-out-of-jail this time. De Faria certainly didn’t get things all his own way in his quarterfinal against Chris Waterson (St Johns). The defending champions got through 25-19, but Waterson’s side of Mark Henry, Michael O’Leary and John Reyland remained in the contest reasonably well until they headed down the home straight.

Early, an excellent press shot from Waterson netted a four on end 10 to give his side the lead 10-9. And it remained tight thereafter.

After 19 heads it was 16-all. But De Faria’s Side of Jordan Dallas Linn, Dave Wilson and Steve Walker took a two and two threes from the next four ends, eventually taking a five-shot advantage into the last end.

Belliss, skipping Ray Wilson, Ron Hutchinson and Keith Slight, posted an easy 29-17 win over Adam Wishnoski (New Lynn). The damage was done in the first eight ends, when Belliss ran out to a 15-0 lead.

Wishnoski’s side of Gary Dougherty, Keith Ansell and Billy Fulton managed a couple of fours but the closest they got was 22-14 behind. Bullen was involved in the most tense of the six morning games.

His side edged out Adam Collins 24-23 on an extra end. Bullen dominated the opening half, leading 16-8 after 12 ends.

But five ends later Collins had surged in front by one. It then went point for point almost, with Picard pushing through a Kurt Smith shot bowl to take a point and tie up the game on the 25th.

On the extra end, Collins’ No 2, Jimmy Quay, played a couple of beauties.

Picard, with an off-target runner, dislodged them to open up the head. The wily Bullen then drew a close one to win. Kape’s side accounted for Anton Ferrari (Naenae) 26-17.

That had seemed an unlikely outcome for most of the match. Farrari’s side was the better of the two through the first 16 ends. At that junction his side was in front 15- 8. But a five on the very next end changed the completion of the game. Kape’s side dominated the match after this, conceding only two singles, in a powerful performance.

Walton’s side won its morning match in just 19 ends. It beat Colin Cherri (North End) 27-8. There was little in the game early on, with Walton leading 9-6 after 11 ends.

But then it all went Walton’s way. His side took the next six ends and then sealed the deal with a five on the 19th. It was a similar scenario in Delany’s victory over Maurice Symes (Fitzroy), a match the four-time champion won 29-15.

Delany led 9-1 early. Symes closed to 9-8 down, but then Delany took control. His side led 25-9 after 18 ends. Symes gave a brief flicker of hope by gaining a five on the next end but it was a false hope.

Two local duos and two visiting combinations will contest the semifinals of the New Plymouth Club-sponsored Open fours-pairs event at West End today.

Inglewood’s Chris Gyde and Bernard O’Sullivan will square off with Orewa’s Matthew Higginson and Andy Dorrance in one semifinal, while Karl Garrett and Colin Gawith (Coromandel) meet Bruce Colgan and Camron Horo, representing West End. Both local pairings were involved in the closest of the quarterfinals.

Gyde, a third-year player, and O’Sullivan held off two other third-year players, Allan McQuoid and Wayne Harris (Orewa), 16-13.

O’Sullivan led 15-9 with two ends remaining. Harris then took a four and on the skip change -over held three on the last end.

However, with his second bowl, Harris rolled an Inglewood bowl in for shot. Colgan and Horo were involved in a high quality third round clash.

They broke free over the last few ends to deny Paul Huxtable and Peter Dorreen (Far North RSA) 19-15. Higginson, the lead, and Dorrance, who actually hails from the Manly club, were impressive in their 21-9 win over the 2021 Taranaki champion-of-champions pairs winners, Steve Sabine and Graham Reive (Inglewood).

Garrett and Gawith, who beat Oakura’s Jim Priest and Pat Walklin 17-9 in the last eight, are the most well-known of the pairs left in.

The Thames Valley duo lost the 2019 Dominion pairs final on the last bowl, having finished third-equal in 2015 and 2017.

Results of post section play in the Open fours: Round 3: Dan Delany (Ellerslie) 29 Maurice Symes (Fitzroy) 15, Hamish Kape (Paritutu) 26 Anton Ferrari (Naenae) 17, Jim Bullen (Kerikeri) 24 Adam Collins (Paritutu) 23, Brendon Walton (Paritutu) 27 Colin Cherri (North End) 8. Quarterfinals: Peter Belliss (Aramoho) 29 Adam Wishnoski (New Lynn) 17, Kape 28 Delany 22, Craig De Faria (West End) 25 Chris Waterson (St Johns) 19, Walton 25 Bullen 19. Semifinal draw for today: Ray Wilson, Ron Hutchinson, Keith Slight, Peter Belliss (Aramoho) v Daryl Read, Kaylin Huwyler, Aidan Zittersteijn, Hamish Kape (Paritutu); Jordan Dallas Linn, Dave Wilson, Steve Walker, Craig De Faria (West End) v Trevor Johns, Gary Barber, John Zittersteijn, Brendon Walton (Paritutu). Results of post section play in the New Plymouth Club-sponsored Open pairs yesterday: Section 1, West End 3, round 1: K Jackson (Arrowtown) 23 L Arbic (Tumut) 17, W Harris (Orewa) 22 C Carter (Parklands) 13, M Higginson (Orewa) 21 T Fieldes (Urenui) 12, P Vink (Paritutu) 26 P Hassall (Tawa) 8, G Reive (Inglewood) 22 J Blyde (Fitzroy) 15, A Paul (Darfield) 27 S Cottam (Paritutu) 8. Round 2: B O'Sullivan (Inglewood) 26 G Bovey (Paekakariki) 19, Harris 18 Jackson 17, Higginson 22 Vink 10, Reive 22 Paul 16. Round 3: O’Sullivan 16 Harris 13, Higginson 21 Reive 9. Section 2, West End 2, round 1: P Nutsford (Parklands) 18 E Foreman (Inglewood) 13, C Gawith (Coromandel) 25 B Morrison (Omokoroa) 17, M Benton (Takapuna) 18 H Ulaula (Picton) 17, C Horo (West End) 20 J Filmer (Far North RSA) 12, G Crow (Vogeltown) 16 G Johnstone (Hokonui) 15, P Dorreen (Far North RSA) 25 P Byres (Titahi Bay) 17, P Clark (Orewa) 19 P Clark (Omokoroa) 16. Round 2: P Walklin (Oakura) 21 Nutsford 15, Gawith 27 Benton 15, Horo 21 Crow 6, Dorreen 23 Clark 11. Round 3: Gawith 17 Walklin 9, Horo 19 Dorreen 15. Semifinal draw for today: Bernard O’Sullivan, Chris Gyde (Inglewood) v Andy Dorrance, Matthew Higginson (Orewa); Karl Garrett, Colin Gawith (Coromandel) v Bruce Colgan, Camron Horo (West End).