The Kia Toa team of (back, from left) Dillon Barker, Jake Brohan, Phil Quinn and Trevor Walker and (front, from left) Kevin Anngow, Rex Knowler and Ivan Coe retained the Lesley Gold Trophy for another year. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
Teens help defend trophy
Following an outstanding year, the Kia Toa division two team defeated the Geraldine two team in to defend the Lesley Gold Trophy, played at the Geraldine Bowling Club.
The Kia Toa team had two teenagers in the clash, with both Dillon Barker and Jake Brohan only in their second year, and both played some outstanding bowls to guide the Kia Toa team to victory.
Kevin Anngow and Phill Quinn also had a solid victory against Ned Kelly’s team.
The other Kia Toa team was a battle of two of the oldest members of Kia Toa, Ivan Coe and Rex Knowler, who just went down.
Lesley Gold final (Kia Toa names first): Trevor Walker, Dillon Barker, Jake Brohan 29, Dianne Calvert, Herstall Ulrich, Errol Wells 16; Kevin Anngow, Phill Quinn 19, Ned Kelly, Kerrin Alker 12; Ivan Coe, Rex Knowler 12, Merv King, Ian Gurr 19.
— Richie Kerr
Geraldine’s Barbara Tiffen (left) was runner-up and Timaru’s Eileen Rabbidge the winner of the senior singles.
Geraldine’s Carol Fowler (left) took the junior singles title, and Kia Toa’s Chrissy Herbert was runner-up.
Junior singles final closely contested
The junior and senior singles started at the Timaru green last Saturday, and the triples on the Sunday at the West End green.
Six clubs entered the junior singles; Fairlie, Kia Toa, Geraldine, Pleasant Point, Waimate and Temuka.
All players had to reach 21 to win a game and was a knockout system.
The final of the junior singles was between Carol Fowler (Geraldine) and Chrissy Herbert (Kia Toa).
After 11 ends the game was 9-all, Fowler scored on the next 5 ends to be 18-9 up.
Herbert then scored 5 on the next 4 ends, to reach 14.
On the last 5 ends it was 20-all and Fowler was the lucky one to get the winning shot to take home the win with 21-20.
The senior singles were played at the Timaru green as well and were minus two clubs.
The final was between Eileen Rabbidge (Timaru) and Barbara Tiffen (Geraldine).
At end 9 it was 9-all, at end 14 it was 13-all.
Rabbidge scored 3 on the next 2 ends, Tiffen scored 2, to have the scores at 16-15 to Rabbidge.
On the next three ends, Rabbidge scored 5 shots to Tiffen’s 1 to give Rabbidge the win 21-16, from Tiffen.
This is the second Champion of Champion winner for the Timaru Club since 2019/20 when Lyn Wilkie won the junior singles and Rabbidge won the senior.
The Geraldine team of (from left) Stu Blake, Dan Rooney and Ricky Ross took the South Canterbury Champion of Champion Triples title at the weekend.
Triples team to rep at nationals after win
Geraldine’s Ricky Ross, Dan Rooney and Stu Blake won the South Canterbury outdoor bowls Champion of Champion Triples held at West End green on Sunday, and will now represent South Canterbury in the New Zealand finals in July.
In the final they played Waimate’s Adrian Robins, Nick Scigggins and Ron Law.
The final victory for the Geraldine team was a milestone for Rooney, who now has 19 South Canterbury titles, Ricky Ross has nine and it was Stu Blake’s first title.
It was an outstanding play by Blake and he thoroughly deserved to win his first title.
Quarterfinal: Kia Toa (John Donaldson, Lockie Barnes, Craig Ridden) 20, Fairlie (Mitchel Dunbar, Bruce Dunbar, Stu Barwood) 9; Geraldine (Ricky Ross, Dan Rooney, Stu Blake) 19, Pleasant Point (Daryl Fowler, Doug Andrews, Dennis Middleditch) 17; Waimate (Adrian Robbins, Nick Scriggins, Ron Law) 18, Temuka (Geoff Taylor, Colin Wood, Phil Crotty) 17; West End (Barrie Andrews, Nigel Mobberley, Bruce Wakefield) 24, Timaru (Warren Garrick, Tony Marshall, Trevor Davis) 8.
Semifinal: Geraldine 22, Kia Toa 14; Waimate 19, West End 12.
Final: Geraldine 16, Waimate 13.
— Richie Kerr
The Temuka team of (from left) Karen Manning, Maria Davey and Lorraine Tyro played well to take the runner-up spot.
Winners of the Bowls South Canterbury Champion of Champion women’s triples were the Timaru team of (from left) Judy Boyle, Lyn Wilkie and Eileen Rabbidge.
Timaru club scores two titles in two days
The Bowls South Canterbury Champion of Champion Triples were held at the West End green last Sunday, with men and women playing on the same green.
Teams had to play 18 ends in a knockout system.
In round one, Karen Manning, Lorraine Tyro and Maria Davey (Temuka) played Sharon Fowler, Ruth Gould and Jill Denton (Pleasant Point), winning 16-15.
Mata Frankum, Margaret Powell and Penny Pulman (Waimate) played Jill Bennett, Julie McAuley and Anne Wooffendin (Kia Toa) and this was a win to Waimate, 18-14.
Timaru and West End had the bye.
In the first semifinal, Lyn Wilkie, Eileen Rabbidge and Judy Boyle (Timaru) played Bridget Kitching, Rana Crabtree and Glenis McDonald (West End).
Timaru won 19-14.
In the second semifinal, Karen Manning played Mata Frankum and won 23-6.
The final was between Lyn Wilkie and Karen Manning.
Lyn was five down on the last end and sent her bowl up and took the jack to hold the shot.
Karen had a run shot and missed to give Timaru the win 18-13.
That gave the Timaru Bowling Club two Champion of Champions in two days the senior singles and the triples.
— Raewyn Crowe
The Temuka team won South Canterbury Softball’s Slow Pitch competition this season.
Temuka edge out Sloppy Swingers
Organised by Chris McConnochie and in its fifth season, Slow Pitch is a softball game enjoyed by many.
All about fun, whanau and learning the fundamentals of softball, seven teams compete against each other every Tuesday night.
Old Dogs, a group of older rugby boys dominated the competition before Christmas.
After Christmas they were replaced by Toa Samoa, a big-hitting team who showed great ball skills and dance moves on the diamond.
Toa Samoa might be the team to beat next season.
The Eagles, a team of local Filipino workers, were also a welcome addition to the competition this year.
They improved with each game and had some great wins over the other teams.
Captained by Kelly Hamer and Chris McConnochie, members of Stunning Bunts and Master Batters enjoy passing on their knowledge of the game to others.
Zingari Sloppy Swingers made the final once again and were looking to take its fifth consecutive championship last Tuesday.
Up against Temuka the game see-sawed each inning and it was 12-all at the top of the fifth inning.
Temuka stepped up a gear at their last turn at bat scoring five runs to deny Sloppy Swingers the win.
This weekend, Zingari Boys, Pleasant Point Boys and Temuka Girls U13 teams will be competing in the Rookie Sox tournament in Dunedin on March 30 and 31.
The last event of the 2023-24 season is the Aoraki women’s social tournament held at Sir Basil Arthur Park on April 6 and 7.
Junior grade softball finals were cancelled on March 15 due to wet weather and placings were based on teams total points over the season.
Teams from Pleasant Point Softball Club were the overall champions of all the junior grades.
Placings were: U9: 1 Point Penguins, 2 Temuka Falcons, 3 Zingari Cobras.
U12: 1 Point Pumas, 2 Zingari Dragons, 3 Temuka Blue Jays.
U15: 1 Point Pythons, 2 Zingari Wildcats, 3 Temuka Cardinals.
— Keri Murphy, secretary South Canterbury Softball
Last season’s champions still too strong to beat
Last season’s South Canterbury championship triples winners — Derek Cooper, Carolyn Cooper and James Blissett — proved too strong in the fundraising triples indoor bowls tournament held last Wednesday.
They were the only team to record four wins from the four games played.
Second on a countback were Allan Gibson, Carol Dawson and Dave Shand with three wins, 19 ends and 34 score points.
Third were Roydon Wood, Sylvia Taylor and Evelyn Duffield with three wins, 17 ends and 32 score points.
Fourth placed were Patsy White, Diane Warwood and Helen Guthrie with two wins and a draw.
The 2×4×2 pairs held on Saturday were won by Carol Dawson and Evelyn Duffield with three wins and a draw, 17 ends and 36 points.
Second also with three wins and a draw were Patsy White and Jo Kerr, 12 ends and 27 points.
Third were David and Mary Mealings with three wins, 22.5 ends and 39 points and fourth were Alan Jenks and Janet Briggs with three wins, 15 ends and 27 points.
This format gives players the opportunity to play in all positions and to gain experience when playing in positions that they are not normally, or accustomed to, playing in.
The Clubs NZ South Island Championships are being held by the Hornby Club over Easter with singles, fours, pairs and triples titles up for decision.
Our players again supported these championships with a good entry.
Events coming up in early April include the NZ Mixed fours event for the Briggs trophy with the winners representing SC at the Eastern Zone finals to be held in Oamaru over the first weekend in July (5-7).
This event will be held on April 6.
A week later there is an open triples tournament (April 13) with the NZ Mixed pairs event for the Goodman Cup being held on Sunday, April 14.
The winners of this event will once again represent SC in the aforementioned Eastern Zone finals.
— David Mealings, SC Indoor Bowls publicity officer
