Bowls: Juniors star at weekend bowls event

Grant Hassall

Stratford-Avon juniors Sheryle Taylor and Theresa Needham set alight the champion-of-champions pairs bowls event on Sunday.

The duo impressively won their way through to the women’s final, which will be played on their home green this coming Saturday.

Both players have shown growing maturity and accuracy in their play this season and are part of a group of talented newcomers to the sport from the central Taranaki club.

After sitting out an opening round bye at Hawera Park, Taylor and Needham beat the 2017 winners Bridget Fletcher and Cathy Andrews (Paritutu) 16-11 and then Margy Carey and Elaine Hodge (New Plymouth) 17-13 in the semifinals.

A tough final awaits the duo, though – Hawera Park’s Ella Smailes and Kristin Stampa, the 2021 champions. Smailes and Stampa posted three victories on the day, which including a tough opening examination from Fitzroy’s Lesley Te Awa and Val Symes. They got the nod there 16-10 and accounted for Opunake’s Diane Chapman and Chris Commane 19-9 in the semifinals.

In the men’s pairs, which was held at Manaia, Inglewood’s Steve Sabine and Gerry O’Sullivan and Rahotu’s Joel Chard and Camron Horo emerged as the finalists.

Chard and Horo made a bad start to their semifinal, dropping two fours to trail 11-3 against New Plymouth’s Kelly Hill and Noel Probyn. But Rahotu dominated after that to win 17-14.

Sabine and O’Sullivan were dominant all day. They broke free mid-game to easily account for Fitzroy’s Evan Jones and Ron Gadsby 23-6 in the other semi.

On Saturday, in the triples, Paritutu’s Briar Atkinson booked her third final, when her team of Jackie Moeahu and Tina Atkinson-Watt posted three resounding wins. That included a 25-3 triumph in the semifinals over Tower’s Alethea Rowlands, Faye Hopkins and Frances Parkes.

Atkinson will play New Plymouth’s Anne Duggan, Anne Brophy and Val McEldowney in the decider. McEldowney’s side won its semi 17-7 over Waitara’s Angela Zimmerman, Norma Jane and Brenda Rowe.

After completing the first round at Okato, the men transferred indoors to Paritutu, where two familiar sides won their way through to the final.

Defending champions Kevan Sellers, Piripi Huwyler and Kaylin Huwyler (Paritutu) will meet the Anderson brothers Brendan, Mark and Grant, of the Tower club, in the final.

Huwyler’s team beat the consistent O’Sullivan brothers from Inglewood, Gerry, Bernard and Danny, in the semis. After an even opening half, Huwyler pulled away to win 18-8.

The Andersons won 19-8 over Manaia’s Trevor Taunt, Rob Clark and Ross Clark.

In all, 11 finals will be held at Stratford-Avon this Saturday in what promises to be a suitable celebration for the season.