Women’s Centre Fours:

These games were played on Wednesday and Friday last week at the Timaru BC, with fog to start the day, a little sunshine and a cold easterly later in the day.

8 teams entered, 2 from Geraldine, 1 from Temuka, 3 from Kia Toa and 1 each from West End and Timaru.

Rd 1 saw Sharon Leonard, Jill Bennett, Julie McAuley and Janice Williams (Kia Toa), beat Karen Manning, Lorraine Tyro, Maria Davey, Pat Parker, (Temuka) on an extra end, 12-10: Joy Rumble, Barbara Garrick, Sam McAuliffe, and Chrissy Herbert, (Kia Toa) beat Julie Robins, June Cronin, Jackie Holley and Margaret Preston (Kia Toa) 14-5: Barbara Tiffen, Linda Gallagher, Barbara McIntosh and Shelly McGrath (Geraldine) beat Bridget Kitching, Barbara Forde, Lyn Hodges and Glenise McDonald (West End) 24-5:  Lyn Wilkie, Eileen Rabbidge, Carol Lee and Judy Boyle (Timaru ) beat Margaret Burridge, Kathlynn Turner, Jenni Coombes and Sandra Sutton (Geraldine) 18-8. It showed some teams had trouble adjusting to a carpet green after playing on grass, but they all tried hard and had conditions been warmer, would have made a lot of difference.

Rd 2: M. Burridge beat J. Rumble, 17-7: B. Tiffen beat L. Wilkie, 17-8: J. Robins beat S. Leonard,15-9:  B. Kitching beat K. Manning 15-11.

Rd 3:  B. Tiffen beat J. Rumble, 20-12: K. Manning beat J. Robins, 16-5: S. Leonard beat M. Burridge, 19-8: L. Wilkie beat B. Kitching, 16-7.

Rd 4: There was only 1 qualifier going into rd. 4 (B. Tiffen), but there were 2 teams who needed the last game to qualify, and both had to play teams who couldn’t qualify.

These games proved very exciting and excellent bowls were played by all.

Sharon Leonard got off to a great start playing Bridget Kitching’s team, getting 4 shots on 1st end, 1 on 3rd end, and from the 6th end onwards, scored 14 shots to win 19 -3 and qualify.

Lyn Wilkie’s team had a great game, starting with a 3, Joy Rumble’s team getting 2 shots, Lyn getting a 2 and 3, Joy getting 2, Lyn got a 3, and 2 singles to be 11-4 up after 8 of the 15 ends they had to play. Ends 9 & 10 Joy scored 2 singles, Lyn got 2 to be 13-6. From then on things got very exciting as Lyn’s team would have shots close but not quite close enough and Joy’s team slowly closed the gap scoring 4 on the last 3 ends to be 3 behind Lyn.

The last end was a close call, and Joy picked up a 2 to be 1 behind and give Lyn’s team the qualifying game.

A new draw was done, and Sharon Leonard’s team got the bye on Friday and Barbara Tiffen’s team played Lyn’s team. Barbara’s team started well winning the first 4 ends to be 16 nil up. Lyn’s team had a replacement player in Margaret May, and they then picked up 2 singles, Barbara scored a 2 and 3, to go further in the lead by 19-2.  Lyn picked up a single shot but could not just get their weight and green to match and although they picked up a single and a 3, Barbara picked up 3 shots to win 22-6. Barbara’s team gelled well and her front 3 played good position bowls.

The final was between Geraldine’s Barbara Tiffen’s team and Kia Toa’s Sharon Leonard’s team, and it was a close game from start to finish.

All members of both teams played exceptional bowls starting with Sharon getting 1 shot, Barbara scored 2 singles, Sharon got a 2 on end 4, Barbara scored a 4 on end 5, then Sharon scored a single shot to be 2 shots behind at 4-6.

Barbara then scored 2 lots of 4 to be 14-4 up.

Sharon scored a 2, a 5, and 4 singles to be 1 ahead for the first time in the match, going into the last end at 15-14.

Barbara’s team played well and scored 2 on the last end to win, 16-15.

The two teams were really worthy of either one winning, and spectators enjoyed this game.

Carolynn Darby was thanked for being the Umpire/Controller, and Timaru were thanked for hosting this first Centre fixture for the women.

- Raewyn Crowe