Bowls: Taranaki sneak home in Ron Buchan Plate thriller

Grant Hassall

Taranaki have claimed the Ron Buchan Plate from Waikato by a single game in a closely contested representative fixture that was held at Frankton Junction, Hamilton (men), and Paritutu, New Plymouth (women), on September 5-6.

With two points awarded for a win, and one for a draw, Taranaki sneaked home to reverse last year’s result 71-69.

Taranaki took the honours in both men’s sections, where the senior men were particularly good, while Waikato had the advantage in both women’s groups.

Just as he did in the first pre-season rep fixture against Whanganui, Rahotu’s Nathan Goodin was outstanding in the senior men’s section, again winning five games from five. That included three wins in the singles, two against the 2019 Dominion singles winner Taylor Horn and once against Will Bennett, after earlier skipping the four and leading in the pair for victories.

It would have been a result that would have especially pleased Buchan, who among the many remarkable things he did in bowls, first played in the Taranaki Open in 1933 and last played in it in 2001. Buchan, like Goodin, also took up bowls as a teenager, and while he spent the majority of his playing days in what was then known as the Waikato-Thames Valley centre, he also was a Coaster, living and playing at Opunake. It was from there that he won the 1935 champion-of-champions singles.

Goodin’s performance was much needed, both by the senior men, the side being somewhat depleted through unavailabilities, and Taranaki overall.

Senior manager Kevan Sellers ended up playing all five rounds and excelled with three wins and two draws. The next best senior was Steve Temperton with three wins and one draw.

Junior manager, Kevin Gledhill, a New Zealand Masters champion on many occasions, also had to ditch the administration, marking his senior debut with a victory, although two losses did follow.

Four juniors also got a go during the weekend at senior level. One of those was Cody Hall, twice a Taranaki senior rugby champion with Inglewood. Hall, grandson of past Taranaki champion and administrator Stan Marshall, gave a good account of himself in his first rep outing. In addition to winning his senior game, he also won three-from-four in the juniors, including both singles encounters.

Experienced junior reps Shae Fleming and Stephen Fevre both enjoyed fine weekends, Fleming winning four and drawing one, while Fevre won all five. They combined for three pairs victories, the two on Sunday both being by large margins.

Despite Taranaki falling 20-10 in the senior women’s section, there was some light. Gale Fache, as skip, and Cindy Gray combined to win four games from five at Paritutu, where because of space restrictions no singles was played.

Monique Bastin, who is about to embark on her third season in the sport, returned a 75% record, winning three games from four, with all the triumphs coming with Fache. Irene Taunt, with three wins from five, was the only other senior women to breakeven against a Waikato side included Gaylene Harvey, Vicki Coll, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Teri Blackbourn and dual Dominion singles winner Debbie White.

Waikato also took the honours in the junior women’s, finishing ahead 17-13.

Six Taranaki junior women finished with a 50% strike-rate – Lois Debique, Shelley Clark, Angela Debique, Theresa Needham, Sheryle Taylor and Colleen Hodges.

Taranaki’s next representative is against Whanganui on Election Day, November 7.

Meanwhile, in the recently completed New Zealand champion-of-champions series, the best Taranaki performance came in the women’s triples. Following Dean Elgar’s men’s singles bronze, Paritutu clubmates Jackie Moeahu, Tina Atkinson-Watt and Briar Atkinson were runners-up. They were a little unlucky to lose the final on an extra end to a Stoke (Nelson) side skipped by Amy McIlroy.

Atkinson, though, should not be too despondent. Her and Camron Horo have been selected by New Zealand in a bid to defend their world junior indoor mixed pairs title in Hong Kong, which commences on November 30.

Individual results (two points for a win):

Senior men, round 1: singles (C Horo) win 21-17; pairs (D Read, A Collins) win 21-14; triples (J Peters, K Hill, C O’Sullivan) loss 9-22; fours (N Goodin, K Sellers, S Temperton, C Ropitini) win 10-9. Round 2: singles (C Horo) win 21-17; pairs (D Read, N Goodin) win 16-11; triples (K Hill, K Sellers, P Spurdle) draw 14-14; fours (J Peters, A Collins, T Taunt, S Temperton) loss 11-14. Round 3: singles (N Goodin) win 21-12; pairs (C Horo, A Collins) win 31-14; triples (K Hill, K Sellers, S Temperton) win 22-12; fours (D Read, J Peters, KJ Gledhill, CJ Hall) win 13-9. Round 4: singles (N Goodin) win 21-17; pairs (C Horo, A Collins) loss 14-16; triples (K Hill, K Sellers, S Temperton) win 19-11; fours (D Read, J Peters, KJ Gledhill, C Ropitini) loss 7-14. Round 5: Singles (N Goodin) win 21-16; pairs (C Horo, A Collins) loss 17-18; triples (K Hill, K Sellers, S Temperton) draw 17-17; fours (D Read, J Peters, KJ Gledhill, C Ropitini) loss 10-13. Overall: Taranaki 26 Waikato 14.

Junior men, round 1: singles (I Dawson) win 21-17; pairs (S Fleming, S Rowe) win 20-12; triples (J Quay, S Fevre, C Hall) win 18-7; fours (C Murray, G Benton, T Taunt, P Spurdle) loss 9-15. Round 2: singles (I Dawson) loss 13-21; pairs (S Fleming, S Fevre) win 18-15; triples (J Quay, S Rowe, C Ropitini) loss 12-16; fours (C Murray, G Benton, C O’Sullivan, C Hall) loss 6-13. Round 3: singles (C Ropitini) loss 13-21; pairs (S Fleming, I Dawson) draw 14-14; triples (C Murray, S Fevre, P Spurdle) win 22-8; fours (J Quay, T Taunt, C O’Sullivan, S Rowe) loss 10-14. Round 4: singles (C Hall) win 21-6; pairs (S Fleming, S Fevre) win 31-3; triples (P Spurdle, I Dawson, J Quay) win 19-14; fours (C Murray, T Taunt, C O’Sullivan, S Rowe) loss 7-15. Round 5: singles (C Hall) win 21-13; pairs (S Fleming, S Fevre) win 30-8; triples (P Spurdle, I Dawson, J Quay) loss 10-12; fours (C Murray, T Taunt, C O’Sullivan, S Rowe) draw 13-13. Overall: Taranaki 22 Waikato 18.

Senior women, round 1: pairs, M Bastin, K Stampa 10 T Blackbourn, V Coll 31; triples, R Davey, S Lawn, T Howard 12 T Jakes, K de Jongh, D White 19; fours, AJ Rowlands, C Gray, I Taunt, G Fache 7 A Nicholas, M Hughes, J Logan, G Harvey 20. Round 2: pairs, AJ Rowlands, T Howard 16 J Logan, G Harvey 18; R Davey, S Lawn, K Stampa 14 A Nicholas, V Coll, D White 16; M Bastin, C Gray, I Taunt, G Fache 17 T Jakes, K de Jongh, M Hughes, T Blackbourn 15. Round 3: L Debique, T Howard 6 T Blackbourn, D White 28; AJ Rowlands, I Taunt, K Stampa 7 J Logan, K de Jongh, G Harvey 24; R Davey, C Gray, S Lawn, G Fache 18 T Jakes, V Coll, M Hughes, A Nicholas 7. Round 4: AJ Rowlands, T Howard 13 T Blackbourn, G Harvey 16; R Davey, S Lawn, K Stampa 11 A Nicholas, T Jakes, D White 21; M Bastin, C Gray, I Taunt, G Fache 17 J Logan, M Hughes, K de Jongh, V Coll 11. Round 5: AJ Rowlands, T Howard 17 T Blackbourn, D White 11; R Davey, S Lawn, K Stampa 17 A Nicolas, J Logan, V Coll 18; M Bastin, C Gray, I Taunt, G Fache 16 T Jakes, M Hughes, K de Jongh, G Harvey 7. Overall: Taranaki 10 Waikato 20.

Junior women, round 1: pairs, L Debique, M Hona 17 A Welsh, R Brown 15; triples, S Clark, A Debique, T Needham 16 H Davison, P Reed, K Maunsell 16; fours, S Taylor, J Forbes, A Quay, L Kape 10 M Pohe, M Waters, M Tapara, J Rhodes 21. Round 2: A Megaw, M Hona 7 A Welsh, R Brown 26; S Taylor, A Quay, A Debique 22 H Davison, B Ward, K Maunsell 9; C Hodges, J Forbes, T Needham, L Kape 11 M Waters, J Gonano, M Pohe, J Rhodes 20. Round 3: S Clark, M Hona 17 A Welsh, K Maunsell 20; A Megaw, A Quay, T Needham 19 H Davison, M Tapara, R Brown 23; C Hodges, J Forbes, A Debique, L Kape 20 B Ward, J Gonano, P Reed, J Rhodes 16. Round 4: L Debique, M Hona 11 A Welsh, R Brown 20; C Hodges, A Quay, A Debique 8 K Maunsell, M Pohe, M Tapara 24; S Clark, S Taylor, T Needham, L Kape 18 M Waters, B Ward, P Reed, J Rhodes 8. Round 5: C Hodges, M Hona 22 K Maunsell, J Rhodes 11; A Megaw, A Quay, T Needham 17 H Davison, J Gonano, M Tapara 16; S Taylor, J Forbes, A Debique, L Kape 14 A Welsh, M Pohe, P Reed, R Brown 15. Overall: Taranaki 13 Waikato 17.

Overall across all four sections for the Ron Buchan Plate: Taranaki 71 Waikato 69.