Bowls: Rep sides back in action from Friday

Grant Hassall

Taranaki’s representative bowls sides swing back into action from this Friday when the Octagonal fixture takes place in Wellington.

The importance of the event can not be under-estimated, with it being Taranaki’s last hit-out before the national intercentre is held in the capital on March 13-16.

Unfortunately, both senior sides head south without their first-choice singles players. With Darren Goodin and Briar Atkinson unavailable, the solo berths have gone to Paul Howell and Rhonda Adams.

The men’s side is noteworthy for the return of Scott Roberts, who skips the fours following his excellent run during the Open.

John Roberts has also been included and he combines in the pairs with Craig De Faria. Both sides contain 10 players each, but with the intercentre squads just seven, everyone has much to play for.

Meanwhile, the under-eights Hexagonal representative contest will be held in New Plymouth this weekend. The men are playing at Paritutu and the women at West End.

Taranaki senior representative bowls teams to contest the Octagonal fixture in Wellington on February 14-16:

Men: singles, Paul Howell; pairs, John Roberts, Craig De Faria; triples, Kurt Smith, Bruce Colgan, Evan Jones; fours, Kelly Hill, Steve Walker, John Gray, Scott Roberts.

Women: singles, Rhonda Adams; pairs, Trish Howard, Val Symes; triples, Amanda Crehan, Rita Davey, Maree Gadsby; fours, Judy Crawford, Chris Commane, Bridget Fletcher, Gale Fache.

Taranaki under-eights representative bowls teams to contest the Hexagonal fixture in New Plymouth on February 15-16:

Men: singles, Nathan Goodin; pairs, Stephen Fevre, Camron Horo; triples, Simon Rowe, Shae Fleming, Corey Brookes; fours, Ian Dawson, Mark Hawken, Gavin Benton, Jason Peters.

Women: singles, Alethea Rowlands; pairs, Shelley Clark, Angela Debique; triples, Sherylle Taylor, Cindy Gray, Irene Taunt; fours, Gloria Wolfe, Ashleigh Megaw, Theresa Needham, Linda Kape.

* Taranaki players gave a good account of themselves at the recent trans-Tasman event in Wellington.

Kurt Smith was part of the New Zealand Para side which edged out the world champions Australia. Both countries finished with nine wins apiece, but New Zealand’s differential was superior.

On debut, Smith did well to finish with three wins and three loses from his games. And with the Para side confirmed for next year’s Commonwealth Games, Smith must now be warmly favoured for inclusion.

In the open women, New Zealand missed out on differential by three points after both sides also won nine games.

Atkinson won three games from four in the pairs with Selina Goddard, and two from five in the fours, which was another more than satisfactory return on debut.

The news was not as positive in the development men, where Australia won 13.5-4.5. Kaylin Huwyler managed one win and one draw from nine games.

Australia took the open men 12-6 and the development women 11-7.

Huwyler soon put the disappointment of Wellington behind him, though, when he skipped Alesha and Jimmy Quay, under the Okato club banner, to win the Taranaki Bowls3five event on Waitangi Day at Stratford-Avon. In the final, the trio scored a straight-sets victory over New Plymouth’s Margy Carey, Val McEldowney and Noel Probyn.

Meanwhile, in the Crehan-sponsored first year singles, which was finalised at Stratford-Avon on Sunday, Fitzroy’s Matt Soffe added to an impressive sporting CV when he claimed the title.

Soffe beat West End’s Damian Peters 21-6 in the final. He has previously represented Taranaki at athletics and at age-grade level in basketball and rugby. Soffe also has bowling pedigree with his late grandfather, Blackie, a competent Clifton Park competitor, while his great-uncle Albie has won two Taranaki titles.

Sharing third was Monique Shaw (West End) and former representative cricketer Tony Earl (New Plymouth).