Bowls: Taranaki teams through to qualification rounds

Grant Hassall

Three Taranaki teams have qualified in the 73rd Devon Hotel Taranaki women’s Open fours.

Section play concluded on Thursday, with 29 teams gaining the necessary four wins from six qualifying games.

Gale Fache’s Paritutu team went through after a 27-22 when in the morning over Lee McDonald (Mercury Bay). Fache’s team comprises Amanda Crehan, Marlene McArthur and Bridget Fletcher.

The West End side of Angela Parr, Margaret Lister, Molly Nagle and skip Vivienne Hall qualified after winning both games on Thursday.

Hall’s side beat Gloria Hope (Rewa) 26-18 and Brenda Rowe (Waitara) 31-19.

Trish Howard’s West End lineup of Monique Shaw, Leanne Halls and Lorraine Heal had previously qualified on Wednesday.

While a light drizzle blighted play slightly in the afternoon, all six rounds were finally completed at 7.12pm last night when Karen Wallace (Okato) was pipped by Chris Commane (Opunake) 23-19.

Wallace, needing the last game to qualify, was one shot down playing the last end. She hit the shot bowl with her last delivery, but was still down.

That was just one of the many stories of frustrations throughout the day.

This was never more pronounced than in section  six at Inglewood, where just two teams advanced.

Marlene Foster (Wanganui East) joined Paula Meredith (Johnsonville) as a qualifier in the morning with a 30-11 win over Martie Sisson (Ohope).

There were four further teams on three wins that needed the last. They all lost.

Judi Bishop (Frankton Junction) trailed the whole game against Gail Burrows (Inglewood). Bishop got to within one point with five ends remaining, but Burrows secured her first win of the week, 28-26. Cathy Andrews (Paritutu), who bowed out in the morning, denied Shona Lawn (Manaia) 31-17, having earlier led 22-5.

The real hard luck story was Robyn Reihana (Riverhead), who missed out 24-23 to Chris Telford (Napier).

Reihana, after dropping an eight on the seventh end to be 14-1 down, rallied strongly, in fact, taking the lead 23-20. But Telford took a two and two singles to pip the gallant North Harbour side.

Eileen Jones (Paraparaumu Beach) was the other team to miss. Meredith made it six on the trot, too, in stopping Jones 21-6.

Raewyn Vernon (Ohope) and Barbara Harvey (Paritutu) also missed out in the only two games played in section one at New Plymouth. Vernon bowed 26-13 to Cheryl Le Claire (Taradale), a five-winner, while Harvey was undone 25-22 by Janice Ropitini (West End), the 1999 winner.

And there was also no joy on West End No 3 in section five. In addition to Wallace losing out, Reen Belliss (Aramoho) also departed. Belliss lost 30-12 to Lynn Clifford (Mercury Bay), who had the luxury of having qualified in the morning game.

But there were stories of success.

Robyn Wilkinson (Waikanae) went on a scoring spree in securing her fourth win in the morning round. Her side picked up a seven on the first end and three sixes throughout the game to beat Jilly Kimber (Manaia) 36-11.

In the same section (two), three other sides advanced in round six.

In a winner take-all clash, Ruth Spittle (Taradale) beat Cindy Nicoll (Inglewood) 25-21. In a tight match throughout, Nicoll was left to rue dropping a seven on end eight, as Spittle prevailed.

 Debbie Wildermoth (Wanganui East) staged a remarkable recovery to get through in the last round. She trailed Karen de Jongh (Central Cambridge), who had fallen out of contention in the morning, 19-4 after 10 ends.

Wildermoth hit the front 25-22, but then dropped a three and a single. However, a three and a four on the last two ends, enabled Wildermoth to win 32-26.

Adrienne Tilyard (Buckland) also made it through. After beating Janet Barnard (Ngongotaha) 28-24 in round five, Tilyard then beat Wilkinson 24-8, having led from the outset.

Estelle Hickey (Carlton Cornwall) missed out 26-14 to Sue Hodges (Omokoroa), who went through with six straight wins as well. Hickey led 12-9, but Hodges controlled proceedings after the light drizzle commenced.

Wendy Mitchell (Masterton) advanced via a 29-16 over Hetty Bolscher (Pukekohe) in a game both needed to win to qualify.

On an adjacent rink, Sheryl Wellington (Mairangi Bay) broke free in the second half of her match against Elaine Hodge (New Plymouth) to win 30-13. Wellington had led just 14-12 after 14 ends.

All the fours action is at Paritutu for the remainder of the event. Eight teams will remain tonight. Meanwhile, 32 pairs start this morning at West End, needing three wins from four games to qualify.