Wellington beat Taranaki in weekend bowls

Grant Hassall

Taranaki had to bow to Wellington in the representative bowls fixtures held in the province during the weekend.

In all three regional competitions held in Taranaki, Wellington emerged victorious, with Revital Fertilisers Taranaki a respectable second in each section.

In the senior men’s, at West End, Wellington claimed 21 wins and three draws from 28 individual games, ahead of Taranaki (19 wins and one draw). In the eight-centre event, Manawatu were third (15 wins).

Taranaki started the event spectacularly, winning all eight matches on Friday, which included Hamish Kape winning both pairs games on the last bowl. But the morning blues struck on both Saturday and Sunday when only one game from four was won in each session.

Despite the overall results showing some promise Allan Batley has elected to delay the naming of his intercentre side until after the Dominion. He made a number of changes prior to Sunday’s rounds but the picture may not have become that much clearer for him.

Aidan Zittersteijn won five from seven in the singles, which included a 25-20 triumph over Kaylin Huwyler (Whanganui), who had been unbeaten until that point.

Craig De Faria was the best performed player overall with six wins – winning four from five playing third for Maurice Symes in the fours and then two from two leading for Darren Goodin in the pairs.

Wellington presented a strong side in the women’s Octagonal, too, claiming the honours with 20 wins and one draw. Taranaki chased them hard to finish second on 18 wins.

Chris Commane’s triple of Jackie Moeahu and Kileigh Barber won six games, while the other four disciplines all managed four victories.

That included Briar Atkinson in the singles, who fought back well after being soundly beaten by six-winner Marei Bevan (Kapiti) in the first round. Atkinson won the next four, which included a 25-17 win over the vastly experienced Natarsha Grimshaw (Hawke’s Bay), to celebrate her selection in the New Zealand under-26 side for the Oceania Challenge in Auckland in April.

In the under-eight hexagonal men at Hawera Park, Wellington sneaked through with 13 wins and one draw from 20 games. Taranaki were second on 13 wins.

Two of the four Taranaki disciplines managed four wins from five – Bruce Colgan and Camron Horo in the pairs and the four of Steve Temperton, Gary Barber, Kurt Smith and skip Steve Sabine.

In the women’s under-eight hexagonal in Palmerston North, saw Hawke’s Bay edge Manawatu on differential after both sides finished on 12 wins. Taranaki placed fourth on 10 wins and one draw.

Three Taranaki disciplines recorded three wins from five – Tina Atkinson-Watt (singles), Shelley Baldwin and Amanda Crehan (pairs), Shelley Clark, Gloria Wolfe, Alesha Quay and Rita Davey (fours).