BowlsBay of Plenty 2x4x2 Mixed Pairs 2023
Wow! What an amazing weekend of bowls and for those in attendance to witness such a fine display of quality of bowls, would have surely appreciated it.
First of all thank you to Mount Maunganui and Tauranga Domain for providing their greens. The weather was sensational for almost all of play except for a bit of rain during the quarter finals play.
Overall there were 24 qualifiers for post section, from the 50 combinations that initially lined up on the first day of the tournament.
Post section threw up some great matches. In the first round of 32, it was the game of Ross Herriott and Bill McCallum and the match up between Robyn Crankshaw andJohn O’Shea that caught the crowds attention. It was the excellent combination and never give up attitude of Herriot with Simone Stewart that just forced McCallum into playing a few more running shots than he would have hoped - to win a close encounter 14/13. While it wasthe relentlessness of Dennis Duncan and the wonderful upshots of Crankshaw that provided an answer to everything that O’Shea and Gayle Melrose questioned them with, eventually providing a win 16/9.
In the round of 16 you could have watched all matches and been happy with the standard, but it was the game between Dan Dickison partnered with Mary Campbell, and Mike Staite that provided the most entertainment. In the final regular 14th end Dickison drew to the ditch to grab shot and looked like winning the game, but it came down to a measure which Staite won. It was Staite and playing partner P.K. Tamehana that then won the extra end to win an epic match 13/12.
In the quarters, the closest match was Andre Hudson vs Crankshaw. After an explosive start by Crankshaw and Duncan to lead 8-0 after 5 ends, Hudson and Kelly Alefaio started to claw their way back and forced three replays of the last end. But it was the great direction of Duncan that forced Hudson into a miracle shot to win the game only narrowly missing to pick up a two when needing a four. Crankshaw winning 13/11.
In the semifinal it was a great performance by Crankshaw and Duncan to shut out recent Centre Triples winning skip Ben Thurston and his partner June Mabbett. Another explosive start by Crankshaw and Duncan blew out the score to a 13-0 lead after five ends and basically extinguished any hope of a comeback, despite some beautiful drawing shots by Mabbett and Thurston after this. In the other semifinal it was a classic last end shoot out again for Staite and Tamehana. Needing a two to win the game it was Staite on his last bowl that wrestled the jack off Steve Hughes and Sue Hodges to hold one shot at the back. Tamahana then came up with what proved the match clincher drawing right next to an offset jack to the side of the rink. Caught in two minds Hughes last bowl just drifted past both shot bowls and the jack to hand the game to Staite 18/17.
The finalreally showed the consistency of Staite and Tamehana outplaying a great effortby Crankshaw and Duncan. It was a polished and professional performance that closed out a superb tournament for Staite and Tamehana, who went undefeated throughout, winning the final 15/6.
Congratulations Mike Staite and PK Tamehana winners of the Bay of Plenty center 2023 Mixed2x4x2 Pairs.