Paritutu side make no race of final in open triples win

Vastly experienced and successful Paritutu bowler Heather Johns skipped her team of Marlene McArthur and Marlene Barrowman to victory in the Taranaki women’s open triples on Monday.

The Paritutu trio, playing on their home green, made no race of the final, which was played in strong winds.

After six ends they led the Inglewood team of Margaret Luckin, Joy Orr and Margaret McCallum 9-0. By the 13th end the score had increased to 20-6. One end of the final of the Abraham’s Funeral Home-sponsored event was left unplayed, with the score sitting at 23-14.

In the semifinals, McCallum ended the hopes of the Tower side of Frances Busy, Maureen Tamou and Patty Symes 23-14, while Johns, after a big early lead, headed off Faye Hill, Vickie Kelly and Rhonda Adams (Fitzroy) 23-18.

The victory was McArthur’s first Taranaki title. She is not related to the famous Paritutu MacArthur brothers — note the different spelling — although her father, the late Ron Smith, was a two-time president of New Plymouth and a fire brigade stalwart. Barrowman levelled with her husband, Malcolm, on three Taranaki titles, while the win was Johns’ eighth.

Meanwhile, the Clegg’s Funeral Services-sponsored Taranaki men’s open triples has been reduced to four sides after a full weekend at Ha¯ wera Park.

Of the 32 teams that entered — a very disappointing number — 18 secured the necessary two wins on Saturday to make post section play. That included New Plymouth’s Bill Foley, who had the draw from hell, beating Craig De Faria and Neil Candy, both of whom remain in contention, and narrowly losing to Darren Goodin.

De Faria and Candywere joined in the last four by West End clubmate Dean Elgar, and Tower’s Scott Roberts. Roberts, who is teamed with Mark Kuklinski and John Roberts, came from 17-10 down in the last eight to pip Hawera Park’s Frank Pollock 23-20 on an extra end.

In the other quarterfinals, Elgar, playing with Steve Temperton and Bruce Lilley, beat clubmate Jocky Bright 20-13; Candy, who’s team includes his brother Bruce and John Garrud, accounted for radio personality Arnold Lloyd (Ha¯wera Park) 23-16; while De Faria skipped Bruce Colgan and Jordan Linn to a 21-11 win over Goodin.

The Revital Fertilisers Taranaki sides have been announced for the New Zealand intercentre event, which is being held in Auckland on March 21-24.

The men’s team is Dean Elgar (singles), Gerry O’Sullivan and Aidan Zittersteijn (pairs), Jordan Linn, Dave Wilson, Scott Roberts and Craig De Faria (fours). The women’s team is Rhonda Adams (singles), Sue Winter and Maree Gadsby (pairs), Val McEldowney, Gloria Shaw, Susan Cottam and Cathy Andrews (fours).