Manawatu¯ men win hexagonal tournament
A strong final round from Manawatu¯ ’s men’s bowlers landed them with the title at the annual hexagonal tournament.
Manawatu¯ edged Ka¯piti Coast by one point on the Palmerston North greens on Saturday and Sunday, while Manawatu¯ ’s women finished fifth at Northern.
The Manawatu¯ men finished on 33 points, just ahead of Ka¯ piti Coast on 32, with Wellington third on 28, Taranaki fourth on 25, Hawke’s Bay fifth on 20 and Whanganui last on 12.
Manawatu¯ had been third after the first day of competition, but performed better on the second day and picked up 41⁄2 points in the final round to take the win.
Hawke’s Bay won the women’s competition. They finished on 32 points, just ahead of Wellington, who had 29 points.
Ka¯ piti Coast were third on 26, Taranaki fourth on 24, Manawatu¯ fifth on 20 and Whanganui last on eight. Each team had two singles players, two pairs teams and one four.
Manawatu¯ ’s under-8 teams were both in action in Whanganui at the weekend and the Manawatu¯ women won the tournament, while the men were third.
The rep teams will now be cut down from 10 to seven players for the national intercentre championships in Auckland next month. One of the pairs teams and one of the singles players will miss out.
The women this week have named a strong side, while the men’s selectors will name a team later in the week.
Terrace End’s Mere Fryer will play the singles, while Emily Gray, of Palmerston North, and Johnston Park’s Lyn Corbett, a former Ka¯ piti Coast bowler, will team up in the pairs.
Sheryn Blake (Terrace End), Robyn Mcgregor (Palmerston North), Caroline Fisher (Himatangi Beach) and Lynlea Rogers (Terrace End) team up in the fours.
Julianne Mills, from Palmerston North, is the reserve and Ailsa Lindsey, of Terrace End, the manager.