Bowls: Several teams unbeaten in Open Fours

Tuesday, Jan 28 2025

Bowls: Several teams unbeaten in Open Fours

Grant Hassall

Just 18 teams have maintained unbeaten records after the second day’s play in the Midlands Funds Management Taranaki men’s Open fours yesterday (21 Jan).

But for 60 teams, one-third of the field, the dreams have turned to 2026, long term at least; or to being the upsetter for the next two days before the pairs start on Friday.

There are 61 sides on two wins and 41 teams have won three matches.

Heading the list of the teams with four wins is Aramoho’s Peter Belliss.

Belliss’ remains a big threat in any tournament he enters. And while his side of Ray Wilson, Lance Tasker and Keith Slight exited on Friday morning last year, they have started 2025 brilliantly.

After beating Gary Barber (Paritutu), who was part of the runner-up side in 2023, 31-16 in the morning, Belliss met a Royal Oak side entered under the name of Gavin Brown but skipped by Steve Fisher.

Fisher, who led in Michael Galloway’s winning Dominion four last February, had defeated Mark Pene (Whangamata) 27-12 in the morning to notch up win No 3.

But the game was completely dominated by the men from the river city. Belliss went to the tea break 14-3 up after 10 ends. The next five ends also wen Belliss’ way, making the score 24-3, at which point the white flag was waved.

Among the spectators for the game was former NZ coach John Murtagh, a contemporary of Belliss and Slight, and who put both Tasker and Brown through their paces in his famed School of Excellence at Paritutu in the early 1990s.

In the same section, first-time Open supervisor Paul Digby (Stratford-Avon), pictured, doesn’t appear to be too distracted by those duties, or those as the umpire, as his side recovered in the afternoon to notch its third win.

They beat Anton Ferrari (Central Levin) 20-19, having earlier lost 27-14 to Jim Corric (Riverhead).

It was a second loss for Ferrari, a regular qualifier in the Open, and with a scheduled match against Belliss this afternoon, the current Kapiti champion-of-champions pairs titleholder is in trouble.

But there was cheer for John Kearney (Hawera Park).

Receiving strong support from his wife, Ivy, Kearney got close to securing his second win of the tournament in the morning, but lost 25-20 to Ferrari. However, Kearney, playing third for Kearin Pollard — who appeared in his first Open in 1978 — got to properly celebrate his 70th birthday when the side cruised home 35-13 over Denis Rudman (West End) in the afternoon.

Only two Taranaki teams remain unbeaten now — Darren Goodin (Paritutu) and Scott Roberts (Tower).

Roberts, in the match of the morning, beat Alex Reed (Ponsonby) 27-20 and then accounted for Brian Pearce (Fitzroy) 28-3.

Reed returned to the winner’s circle in round four, narrowly beating John Dunlop (Palmerston North) 19-18. He was joined on three wins by his fellow Bowls NZ employee, Colin Williams (Riverhead).

Williams scored a memorable 22-21 win in the morning round over the strong Phil Todd-skipped Johnsonville quartet. Todd, too, also finished with three wins.

The other three Taranaki teams that had won their opening three games all fell in the afternoon.

West End’s John Garrud went down 22-20 to Phill Chisholm (Takapuna), the North Harbour side experiencing a change in fortunes with two wins on day two.

Pat Walklin (Oakura) was never in the hunt against Dan Dickison (Tauranga). Dickison won the match 31-8 and so is back on track to qualify with three wins.

And Grant Pease (Fitzroy) was nosed out 23-20 by Glen Richie (Blockhouse Bay). Trailing by two shots playing the last end, Pease held two, before Richie, who was in excellent touch, drew the shot to ensure the perfect record for his team of Tony Holdsworth, Jim Hunter and Doug McNamara. Holdsworth, who was runner-up in the Dominion singles in 1994, first appeared in the Open in 1978 as a member of Brian Elsmore’s team.

Richie is one of four Auckland teams unbeaten. The others are John Petelo (Pt Chevalier), Petar Sain (Carlton Cornwall) and Billy Fulton (Henderson).

Sain, pictured, is playing third in the side, with Rob Ashton skipping. They won well twice yesterday, as did Petelo playing in the same section at West End. A third team in the group is also unbeaten. It is skipped by Paul Eaton (Mt Maunganui). Eaton and two of his teammates, Darryl Fale and Warren Harford, are juniors, but they have experience at No 3 in the form of immaculate draw player, John Simons.

Wairarapa’s hopes remain positive so far with Gavin Hamlyn (Martinborough) in good touch. He was originally scheduled to lead for Garry Muriwai this week.

But ill health forced Muriwai out. Hamlyn was promoted to skip, with Steven Willis off the front. Mark O’Brien and Bill Brunenberg complete the side that has hardly missed a beat, winning all four games comfortably. Yesterday they beat Rob Clark (Manaia) 24-15 and Colin Cherri (North End) 28-19.

In the same section, Joe Hunn (Havelock North) is also unbeaten. His side received a tough interrogation in the morning from a Tawa side skipped by Vassist Prasad. They got home there 27-24 and then were convincing 34-8 winners in the afternoon round over Steve Ramsy (Mt Albert).

It was Ramsay’s second loss and must now win the rest.