Tauranga team takes title

Grant Hassall
 
Dan Dickison continued a magnificent family legacy in bowls when he superbly skipped his Tauranga team to victory in the 116th Taranaki men’s Open fours at Paritutu on Sunday.

Dickison’s side of Lance Tasker, John O’Shea and Steve Hughes won the last 10 ends of the final to overcome Victoria’s Raymond Martin 28-16. Martin had led 16-9 after 13 ends before Dickison took control.

Dickison’s uncle, Ian, was the 1986 Commonwealth Games singles gold medallist and also won the Dominion pairs in 1981 with Dan’s father, Phil.

“This is huge,” Dickison said, acknowledging it was the biggest moment of his career.

“The green is beautiful, but the breeze made it tricky. We just kept chipping away.”

Martin’s side of Mike Carroll, Rod Leitch and Grant Wakefield were left disappointed in the final analysis. They had looked the better team at the mid-point.

In fact, the margin at that stage could have been even larger, except for some crucial reduction and recovery shots from Dickison.

Martin’s team picked up a five on the fifth end to lead 9-4. But on the next Dickison drew two shots to a spilled jack for a count of three.

And the calm Dickison continued to draw crucial shots throughout.

On the eighth end, when three down, he landed on the shot bowl for one. On the 10th, when four down, he reduced the count to one. And then on the 12th end, when five down, Dickison moved the jack one.

But a three on the 13th end meant that the momentum was still with Martin’s side and created what many thought could be a match-winning 16-9.

But a loose 14th end saw Dickison collected a four and turn the tide.

Two singles levelled the ledger and then on the 18th end, Dickison gave his side the lead for the first time when he drew the shot with his last bowl.

Dickison was again to the fore on what turned into the defining end of the final, the 19th. Five down, Dickison killed the end. On the replay, Tasker threw a short jack and got close with his first bowl. Dickison added two more and with a final count of four, the title moved within the grasp of the Tauranga team. Three further singles and another four sealed the result.

In the semifinals, Martin’s side edged out the Royal Oak team of Joe Whitelaw, John Carruthers, Teo Turua and skip Dan Delany 22-20.

Dickison was a convincing 29-7 victor over the last surviving Taranaki side, Tower’s Mark Anderson, in the other semi Anderson’s side included his brothers Brendan and Grant, and No 2 Phil Kuklinski.

In the pairs event for non-qualifiers and non-entrants in the fours, Papatoetoe’s Patrick Stanaway and Tom Heimuli took the honours. Stanaway and Heimuli prevailed in a tight final 22-16 over Hillcrest’s Kerry Margan and Tony Fabling, after leading by two shots playing the last end.

PICTURED: (Left to right): Dan Dickison, John O’Shea, Lance Tasker and Steve Hughes.