Weather hampers season

Taranaki’s bowls season continues to be impacted by a wretched run of weather.

The latest event affected is the Cross Country Rentals-sponsored mixed pairs, with only one and a half of the scheduled three post-section rounds on Sunday possible. That follows the Revital Fertilisers Taranaki match against Whanganui being cancelled the previous weekend while all interclub events have also lost time.

The loss of half a day on Sunday leaves the mixed pairs in a quandary of needing a further four and a half rounds still to be completed before the winners will be found. With cold finals for open events currently a no-go on the centre’s books, play this Saturday will involve a further two and a half rounds, thereby reducing the field to four sides. A suitable date will then be arranged with the semifinalists.

Defending champions Darren Goodin and Barbara Batley (Paritutu) are battling in the incomplete round. They trail Fitzroy’s Grant Pease and Lesley Te Awa 13-9 after 12 of the scheduled 16 ends.

Paritutu’s Briar Atkinson holds a narrow advantage in her match. Playing with Adam Collins, Atkinson has overcome an early deficit to hold a 14-12 advantage after 13 ends against clubmates Allan Batley and Marlene Mcarthur. The winner of that match is then likely to tangle in the quarterfinals with another Paritutu duo, Brendon Walton and Gale Fache, who appear in control in their contest.

Val Mceldowney (New Plymouth) remains in contention with Kelly Hill. They hold a fourshot edge in their game, while Inglewood’s Steve Sabine and Cindy Nicoll hold a handy eight-shot lead through eight ends.

The only completed second-session match at the Tower greens saw Alethea Rowlands and Brian Tout edge fellow Tower members Faye Hopkins and Neil Bovey 12-11.

On the other side of the draw, playing at Hāwera Park, Fitzroy’s Maurice and Val Symes are already through to the next round. They beat Paritutu’s Peter Vink and Yvonne Hallard 22-6. Their next opponents, though, are still to be determined. Paritutu’s Don Christensen and Cherryl Sharrock are currently four in front of Opunake’s Levi Davis and Pauline Davy.

In the other matches, the sides currently in front are Brian Pearce and Janet Ravji (Stratford-avon), Aidan and Sandra Zittersteijn (Paritutu), Ron and Maree Gadsby (Fitzroy) and Steve Temperton and Susan Cottam (West End).

Play this Saturday will continue at both Tower and Hāwera Park.