Bowls: Gray succeeds during Taranaki finals

Grant Hassall

Fitzroy’s John Gray has had a memorable weekend at bowls.

The well-known businessman, who assumed ownership of New Plymouth New World last year, has played his way into two Taranaki finals in an unblemished display.

Gray was successful in skipping his side into the fours final in the Suchy & Co champion-of-champions series at Rahotu on Saturday. He then, in a nail biting conclusion, repeated the performance in the men’s senior singles at West End on Sunday.

The finals are scheduled to be played at Stratford-Avon on April 26-27.

In the singles, Gray looked down and out, trailing West End’s Craig De Faria 20-12 in the semifinals. But Gray held his nerve, just as he did when he won the 2021 Dominion fours.

Three singles, a four, and two further singles saw Gray take the match. On the last end, with the score 20-all, Gray drew close with his second bowl in drizzly conditions. De Faria outdid, but Gray, with his last delivery, pushed the jack back to take shot. And with De Faria short, Gray was through.

The final will not be an easy proposition, though. Okato’s Hamish Kape, displaying his best local form in the past two seasons, is his opponent. Kape beat New Plymouth’s Kelly Hill 21-12 in his semi.

In the fours, Gray’s side of Paul Spurdle, John Stockman and Chris Campny won through their semifinal 15-9 over John Sextus, Mike Sherning, Chris Hall and Paul Digby (Stratford-Avon), having earlier led 13-0. The other finalist is Paritutu’s Nathan Goodin, Rodger Hassall, Adam Collins and Darren Goodin, who beat Rahotu’s Alec Lowry, Daryl Chard, Kent Helms and Shae Fleming 20-6 in the last four.

Experience eventually also prevailed in both the women’s fours and singles.

In the fours, at Opunake, the two sides to emerge were Kay Fabish, Daphne Paynter, Leanne Halls and Trish Howard (West End) and Val McEldowney, Anne Brophy, Margy Carey and Elaine Hodge (New Plymouth).

In the semis, Howard’s side beat Toni Watson, Sue Harris, Janet Ravji and Kristin Stampa (Stratford-Avon) 17-10, while Hodge’s crew edged Nellie Dunce, Chloe Calway, Colleen Hodges and Mihi Hona (Lepperton) 13-11.

Stampa had consolation in the singles, where she sneaked through to the final after beating Fitzroy’s Judy Crawford 21-18. In the final, Stampa will meet Opunake’s Chris Commane, who had an equally-tight semifinal, before prevailing 21-19 over Paritutu’s Kileigh Barber.

There was further joy for the Kapes and Opunake, too, in the junior singles.

Okato’s Linda Kape, mother of Hamish, will meet Opunake’ Lois Debique in the women’s final, while in the men’s final, which promises to be a cracker based of the quality of play on Sunday, Fitzroy’s Ian Dawson will square off against Opunake’s Ross Sinclair.

Irene Taunt (Tower), Kim Marsters (Paritutu), Chris Gyde (Inglewood) and Mike Baldwin (Lepperton) were the respective beaten semifinalists.

Meanwhile, Paritutu will compete in the New Zealand interclub finals from this Friday in Wellington. The women’s side is Jackie Moeahu (singles), Cathy Andrews and Heather Johns (pairs), Gaye Holub, Marlene Barrowman, Bridget Fletcher and Gale Fache (fours). The men’s team comprises Dean Elgar (singles), Adam Collins and Darren Goodin (pairs), John Zittersteijn, Kurt Smith, Daryl Read and Camron Horo (fours).