Final bowls event held at Dannevirke
Dannevirke Bowls has closed now until further notice after its finale, the prestigious Southern Hawke’s Bay Men’s Open Fours, was played last weekend.
Agonising as to whether to persevere with the tournament the club decided to continue, thinking bowlers would ultimately make the decision by turning up or not.
As it transpired they turned up, only four of the 18 teams pulling out.
Thorough precautions were taken with hygiene a top priority and rules like “not picking up bowls belonging to others” being imposed.
Teams came from Waipukurau, Whanganui, Ashhurst, Palmerston North, Woodville, Hastings, Waipawa and Foxton Beach to join five local fours. The tournament ran both days Saturday having three games of qualifying and Sunday the qualifiers going into the top eight and the rest in the B section. A Palmerston North team skipped by Brian Loker beat Dannevirke’s team skipped by Eddie Warrington in the final. It was a good tussle and all Dannevirke team members, Warrington, Graham Black, Harry Mills and Grant Mainwaring acquitted themselves well.
Bill Illsley’s team from
Waipawa was third.
In the B Division three Dannevirke teams were first, second and third skipped respectively by Jim Harding, Ian Cushing and Paul Fisher.
Winning skip Brian Loker said at the prizegiving: “Whether coming was right or wrong we’ll know in 15 days but in the meantime we enjoyed a heck of a tournament.”