Gold star performance from bowler
Lawn bowler Jackie Moeahu is the sport’s newest gold star holder in the Taranaki region.
Moeahu, of New Plymouth’s Paritutu Bowling Club, claimed her fifth Bowls Taranaki title at Inglewood on Saturday in the women’s open triples event sponsored by Abraham’s Funeral Home.
In doing so, she joined many of the great names in the sport to achieve the feat.
Moeahu’s victory came alongside Tina Atkinson-watt, who claimed her first qualifying point, and skip Gale Fache, who has now won seven titles.
The trio didn’t have things all their own way in the final. But the full-time count of 25-17 did suggest a degree of comfort for the Paritutu triple over their West End counterparts of Patricia Hanson, Bev Bromfield and skip Denise Cottam.
Fache’s side skipped out to a 7-1 lead after six ends in the final, but Cottam brought that back to 9-9 through nine ends.
However, a two followed by a four and a single on the next three ends gave Fache the desired break. That was extended to 22-12 after 18 of the 21 ends. Cottam clawed back a three and a two, making the difference five shots playing the last end.
Earlier in her playing career, Moeahu represented the West End club, from where she won the champion-of-champions junior singles (2005) and champion-of-champions triples (2018). An open triples (2022) and the champion-of-champions triples (2023) were won in Paritutu colours.
In the earlier semifinals, Fache easily accounted for clubmates Amanda Crehan, Berys Norgate and Barbara Harvey 19-5, while Cottam held off Tower’s Alethea Rowlands, Irene Taunt and skip Jane Augustine 18-16.
In the Andersons Pies-sponsored men’s open triples at Stratford-avon on Saturday, Inglewood’s Andrew Kendell, Steve Sabine and Paul Howell had a day to remember when they claimed the title.
In the final, Howell’s side defeated West End’s Dave Wilson, Jordan Linn and skip Steve Walker 23-12.
A four on the sixth end, followed by a brace on the next, gave Howell’s side an 11-4 lead in the final, an advantage they didn’t relinquish.
Walker’s side still had a sniff in the decider, trailing 16-12 after 16 ends. But it was all Inglewood after that, with Howell taking two twos, a single and a further two to wrap up the title with an end to spare.
Kendell and Howell both claimed their first Taranaki titles with the win, while Sabine now has three points towards his gold star. Kendell, a former scratch golfer, is in just his second year in the sport, while Howell, after stints in Kāpiti and Bay of Plenty, has impressed since his arrival in the province three years ago.
In the semifinals, Howell beat Tower’s Brendan Anderson, Grant Anderson and Bruce Pillips 22-20, while Walker ousted Fitzroy’s Craig O’sullivan, Peter Vink and Dean File 18-12.
Meanwhile, differential was required to determine the winner of the Milife Retirement Village-sponsored men’s Saturday Shield at the Tower Bowling Club.
The three divisional winners – Urenui, Rahotu and Manaia – all finished the day with three wins and three loses.
Rahotu’s differential was the best, though, to enable the western division champion to claim overall Taranaki honours for an eighth time since the establishment of the competition in 1912.