Visiting team wins Taranaki women’s open, but only just

Grant Hassall 

Photo: Pirongia club won the Taranaki women's Open fours at Paritutu on Sunday.

A Waikato side skipped impressively by Denise Te Momo won the Taranaki women’s Open fours title at Paritutu on Sunday evening.

Te Momo’s side of Judy Marr, Lynda Bennett and Katrina Ensor, representing the Pirongia club, won the final over a Royal Oak (Auckland) team of Nicole Singer, Lee Singer, Robyn Fisher and skip Rima Strickland 22-21. Heavy rain early on Sunday morning saw all play held inside at Paritutu.

Opening exchanges in the final were even, before Te Momo’s side edged in front.

The 12th head was particularly impressive with the shot changing hands many times. Te Momo took a single there to go to the afternoon tea break 12-4 in front.

Strickland returned with a three but when Ensor drew the jack into the ditch on the 16th end to get a four, the odds were firmly in favour of Te Momo at 18-8.

But three consecutive twos to Strickland brought the score to 18-14. The momentum looked to be firmly with Strickland especially on the 20th head, with the front two holding three shots. Unfortunately for Strickland, though, Fisher turned in a Te Momo bowl for shot. A two on the next to Te Momo – another occasion where Strickland’s side were their own worst enemy – put the margin back to seven shots.

But the Royal Oak side would not go away. A superb shot by Fisher and two excellent draws by Stickland netted a three on the 22nd. Te Momo took a single on the next, but a two to Strickland left the margin at three shots with one end to play.

Te Momo looked safe on the last end, but Strickland pushed the jack to the end of the rink to hold three. But Te Momo drew third shot to win by one.

Both semifinals were one-sided affairs.

The Royal Oak side beat Jane Selby-Paterson’s Otaki side of Hilary Moore, Carol Parsons and Judy Howell 30-20. Strickland took a six from the second end, then two fours immediately followed. That gave the Aucklanders a 14-1 after four ends. That became 26-9 after 15 ends. Selby-Paterson brought it back to 26-16 after 19 ends, but Strickland went through with an end to spare.

Te Momo ended the hopes of the last Taranaki challenge, Ann Spurdle, Berys Norgate, Cheryll Sharrock and Margaret Farmer (Paritutu) 27-13. Te Momo was never headed in the game, with 14-8 behind being the closest Farmer got. Farmer had done well to make the semifinals after her side accounted for a number of good teams. That included Val Symes (Fitzroy), who was beaten 24-5 by Farmer in the quarterfinals.

The pairs final turned into a humdinger with Lynda Francis and Shirley Passey (Havelock North) taking out the Suunto Sport Watches-sponsored event.

They beat West End’s Denise Cottam and Susan Cottam 15-13 in the final.

The Cottams led 8-3 before the game tightened up. The Hawke’s Bay duo sneaked in front 11-10 after 17 ends. The scores were 13-all playing the last end.

Denise Cottam drew a beauty with her first, but then trailed the jack, opening the head up. Passey, with her second bowl, came off the shot to sit by the jack. Susan Cottam, with a last bowl runner, missed by a cigarette paper.

In the semifinals, Francis and Passey beat Janice Collier and Caro McLeod (Taupo) 20-13, while the Cottams defeated Alethea Rowlands and Irene Taunt (Tower) 22-15.