Terrace End bowlers defy the odds
Interclub is all but over for the season and in division one it was more of the same for the women, but a first win for a club in the men’s competition. Northern won the women’s in a close contest and it was Terrace End that upset the bookmakers’ tips in the men’s contest, eventually winning from Northern on a differential countback.
Both teams were equal on 16 points, with Palmerston North only two points back.
The interesting point was the cellar dwellers Johnston Park and Takaro dictated the outcome by thumping Palmerston North’s fours and pairs respectively in the last round.
But the day belonged to Terrace End and the usually voluble Neil Gordon was very subdued and humble in praising his team-mates in his acceptance speech.
There’s always plenty of mischief making in bowls and a rumour spread round Northern on Saturday that Palmerston North were so confident they had already booked airfares to the regional finals.
Those who swallowed it need only have looked in their centre programmes to see the event is laid down to be played in Palmerston North. Women’s division two was completed on Saturday and again with superior differential Bulls prevailed over Terrace End.
Men’s division two has one day to complete and Terrace End has a great chance of a double, being equal with Palmerston North Gold on 24 points.
The competition is very close with Palmerston North Blue, Northern, Bulls and Johnston Park all on 20 points.
■ Interclub will have served to run a lot of players into form and this will help representative selectors who take teams to the annual quadrangular in Wanganui next Saturday.
Women’s selector Lyn Elphick has stayed close to the seven that performed creditably at the last intercentre event.
The four of Lyn Jensen, Wendy Hermann, Ailsa Lindsay and Robyn Mcgregor remains intact and Mere Fryer again plays the singles.
Julianne Mills remains in the pair but this time gets the chance to skip newcomer Tania Harris. In naming the men’s team I have given Allan Stewart a chance in the singles along with a resurgent Shane Rogers, who is showing a top attitude this season and was a key figure in Terrace End’s interclub success.
Pat Horgan is back and while not in vintage form at interclub, his experience is invaluable.
After his stellar 2016-17 season Stephen Love gets to skip the four and at two he will have the vastly experienced Ross Ellery. Brian Little is battling injury so was not considered and one of Terrace End’s form bowlers, Clayton Simpson, made himself unavailable.
The Manawatu board has taken a decision not to send an 8-year-and-under women’s team to Auckland for the national intercentre, so no doubt these women will be anxious to perform and question the decision in the best way possible.
Similarly the men of that division will be wanting to ensure their campaign to Auckland continues.
■ I had the pleasure of meeting new Bowls New Zealand chief executive Mark Cameron a fortnight ago and he brings a new, fresh and somewhat radical approach.
One of his first decisions was to disband the BNZ marketing team which suggests he could not see results to match the budget.
His intention is to target 30-40 year olds with their families, but there will need to be structural changes to accommodate these people.
They cannot report at 8.30am
on Saturday and finish at 5pm. He has looked closely at the programme and sees no place for the pathways format of club championships, he considers interclub should finish at regional level.
Under-8s should go at New Zealand level and the nationals need revamping to restore their glory and perhaps bring in mixed as well. If half of what he wants happens, it will be good for the game.
Costs are crippling our best players and several of these moves will help.
He has also appointed nine correspondents round the country who will be contributing articles to a new website. Yours truly is one of those. I will be looking for articles on clubs and individuals.
■ Entries have closed for the centre fours with 23 entries for the men’s and eight in the women’s. No doubt another team will be found to eliminate the bye.
One or two more entries may be in via snail mail.