BOP Bowls Presents Centre Triples

It was a windy first day for all teams having to cope with the conditions. It was the women’s

qualifying event on the Omokoroa and Papamoa greens that threw up the first shocks, as last year’s

winner L.Renata, current form favourites PK Tamehana and local hope Carol Hubert were knocked

out in the qualifiers. It was the same in the men’s event, played at Matua, where current form and

multitude winner Mark Sarginson as well as a number of Bay representatives didn’t get out of the

qualifying stage.

Sundays post section at the amazing venue of Matua started with some crucial match ups that would

decide who would be playing who in the quarter finals. The games of the round were the match ups

of Wendy Green vs Sue Hodges and Anthony Ouellet vs David Jones. All teams stacked with talent. In

the women’s game it was the consistency of Sue Hodges that got her team over the line with a close

battle, 18-14. In the men’s, it was Eric Patillo that anchored his team with some touches of class

added by Ouellet.

To the semis and it was an absorbing match between Hodges and Karen Hema. After a valiant effort

by Hema with a myriad of shots, it was the Hodges team that showed most consistency throughout

the game to win 17-12. In the men’s semi it was the team of Paul Anderson against Andre Hudson’s

combination that captured the imagination of the packed Matua crowd. While Hudson and skip

Frank Aldridge played some outstanding shots, it was the sheer brilliance of Nathan Arlidge, playing

two for Anderson, that secured end after end for his team. It also has to be noticed that Anderson

played the shot towards the end that turned the game on it’s head, from 3 down to 2 up in one

bowl. Anderson eventually winning 19-12.

To the women’s final it was the team of Hodges, Caitlin Thompson and Simone Stewart from

Omokoroa playing Raewyn Willis, Bridget Crawford and Mary Conroy of Mount Maunganui. It was

the Conroy show, winning the lead battle of 13 out of 16 ends, then complemented by Crawford

from midway through the game all the way to the finish – Willis winning 19-13.

In the men’s final it was the composite team of Ben Thurston, Wayne Smith and Tony Gabolinski

versus the Mount team of Anderson, Arlidge and Steve Beel. Gabolinski played really well by

consistently putting at least one bowl within a foot of the jack every end. Throughout the game he

was well supported by his other team members who both played some amazing draw saves.

Unfortunately the Mount team couldn’t maintain the form they had in the semis with the game

slowly slipping away from them. It eventually ended with a win to Thurston 13-7.

Congratulations to Bridget Crawford and Tony Gabolinski on their first Centre titles.

Article added: September 27, 2023