Mangonui players punch above weight
9-BOWL TRIPLES. Players from the Mangonui club claimed first and second place at the Karikari club’s annual 9-bowl triples fundraising tournament in Whatuwhiwhi last Thursday evening.
A field of 10 teams played four games of seven ends and a 38-minute game time limit, local commentator Steve Joyce noted in his weekly round up.
“The Karikari club has never won its own tournament and we were hoping to change that this year. I did select what I thought would be winning teams. Alas it was not to be — again!” Joyce said, in referring to the Mangonui clubbers, “who always seems to punch above their weight,” taking the two top spots with a Waiharara team placing third.
Final results were, Peter Sole, Janet Sole and “ring-in” Wardy 1; Clayton Jones, Lynne Pooley and Bill Campbell 2; Joe Milich, Marge Milich and Freddie Petricevich 3; while the best sports prize went to the team of Stephen Yuretich, Ivan Jurlina and Joleen Waaka.
“Like the Dalmatian club events, Karikari always provides lovely food and a good selection of raffle prizes and so it was again this year.
“The competition was great, the competitors were great, the food was great and a good evening was had by all,” Joyce said, thanking on behalf of organisers to everyone who helped organise the evening.
DRAWN PAIRS. The highlight from the previous Thursday (May 30) was seeing two local players continuing their recent spell of good form by featuring in the first and secondplaced teams respectively at a drawn pairs tournament held at the Kaitaia Primary School hall.
The night also featured a field of 10 teams contesting a format of four games of nine ends apiece, Joyce said.
“Going into the last game, two teams had three wins and were looking for a clean sweep but it was not to be as both lost their last game bringing two other teams into the equation which left four sides with three wins apiece.”
This meant the final result had to be decided on countback with Stephen Yuretich and Helen Fisher (aka “the diminutive grey haired grandmother” who won a singles tournament two weeks’ previous) claiming first place, leaving Lynne Pooley and Mark Crosby — one half of the combination of the winners of a recent ‘pairs’ tournament — to settle for the runners-up spot.
“Obviously Helen and Mark are going through a purple patch at the moment,” Joyce concluded.