Bowls: Finalists found in women's open triples

Grant Hassall

Paritutu’s Heather Johns and Fitzroy’s Rhonda Adams have successfully skipped their sides into the final of the Taranaki women’s open triples.

Both trios negotiated their way through three post section rounds in the Abrahams-sponsored event at the New Plymouth club on Sunday. They are scheduled to meet on finals weekend at the end of April.

Johns is combining with Marlene McArthur and Marlene Barrowman, which is the same side which won the title in 2019. They scored a hard-fought 20-17 win over West End’s Lorraine Heal, Leanne Halls and Trish Howard in the semifinals.

In the other semi, Adams, skipping Lea File and Judy Crawford, raced away from West End’s Margaret Lister, Molly Nagle and Vivienne Hall 24-5.

In the men’s Anderson Pies-sponsored open triples, which was played at Stratford-Avon, the western division excelled with two teams remaining in the final four sides.

Opunake’s Paddy Deegan, skipping Daryl Mackenzie and Ross Sinclair, got through in the last eight over Grant Hassall, Bruce Colgan and Craig De Faria (West End) 17-16, with Mackenzie’s leading the difference in the final wash-up.

They are joined in the semifinals, which will also be played on finals weekend, by Rahotu’s Shae Fleming, who is skipping the father-and-son duo of Daryl and Joel Chard. Fleming’s side won through 20-7 over Ivon Joe, Damian Peters and Neil Candy (West End) in the last round.

Fleming will meet West End’s Norm Broughton, Blair Clark and Darren Scott in the semis, after Scott’s side defeated clubmates Dave Wilson, Jordan Linn and Steve Walker 20-14.

Tournament sponsors Brendan, Grant and Mark Anderson (Tower) are the remaining semifinalists. They beat Fitzroy’s Mark Hawken, John Gray and Maurice Symes 24-15 and will play Deegan.

This weekend sees the open singles take place in New Plymouth.

Meanwhile, Paritutu’s Kaylin Huwyler and Oakura’s Briar Atkinson were the best performed Taranaki combination at the national mixed pairs last week in Christchurch. The duo won four post section games, before losing to the eventual champions Dan Dickison and Sue Hodges (Tauranga) in the quarterfinals.

Fitzroy’s Lesley Te Awa and Grant Pease, and Irene (Tower) and Trevor Taunt (Manaia) both qualified and won their first post section games before bowing out.

In the fours, no Taranaki players made it past the first post section game.

Atkinson, playing for Selina Goddard, lost in round one of the knockout phase. It was the same fate for Scott Roberts’ side of John Roberts, Dave Wilson and Jordan Linn and also Steve Walker’s team of Steve Temperton, Bruce Hall and Bruce Colgan.