Early form bodes well for looming big games

Nelson indoor bowls players have enjoyed comprehensive wins in early-season representative games.

Wins over Golden Bay-Motueka and Marlborough have secured them the McNabb and Rodgers trophies as well as the Scott and Adams cups.

Wakefield’s Ryan Eggers has also won the Nelson under-18 singles title and will represent Nelson at the national final in Wellington in September.

For the second successive year, the Tapawera and Wakapuaka clubs contested the final of the interclub sixes, Tapawera winning again on a countback of points, after games won were even.

The final of the drawn fours Richmond Trophy resulted in a win for the Stoke club team of Mike Johnston, Dom Palumbo, June Derecourt and Sheryl Gray.

This weekend, Nelson host the zone 5 final of the New Zealand mixed fours in which teams of two men and two women from Buller, Greymouth, Golden Bay-Motueka, Hokitika, Marlborough and Nelson will be competing. The winners will then go onto the New Zealand final at New Plymouth later this month.

Nelson is again represented by the strong quartet of Nigel and Hayden Warnes, Denise Powick and Louise Mason. They were the zone winners last year and finished second at the New Zealand final. They can expect tough opposition from the Golden BayMotueka, Greymouth and Buller teams.

Play is at Warnes Stadium, Songer St, and begins at 11am on Saturday.