Camaraderie a clue to Northern's interclub success

OPINION: Last weekend was a big one for our centre with the women's open singles being played down to a final, the men's singles to the last eight and all interclub divisions being finalised.

Northern completed victories in both men's and women's division two interclub, and when I visited their club on Saturday, the camaraderie among their women gave a strong hint as to why they are so successful.

Many good players are found at interclub, where it is solely about team performance.

Even if you are down, it is vital not to drop the bottom lip and instead fight to limit a differential.

Mike Hickey, our centre's interclub organiser, has done a fine job in running the tournament and he asks for clubs' feedback before next season's programme is formulated.

The open women's singles final will be between Fran Frith, one of our most successful bowlers, and Kay Hammond, who is showing considerable promise in the development team.

Fran will have the advantage of playing at her home club, Terrace End, no doubt with the usual boisterous support that club produces.

Is it the changing of the guard? Three development players and one other junior were in the last eight so the established players are being firmly nudged and it should be a final well worth seeing.

Having been right in the middle of it for two days, the men's singles is producing high-quality bowls as we would expect from a top field, outstanding weather and the centre's best greens.

Notables who failed to qualify were defending champion Shane Rogers, David Walker, Bob Williams and the well performed Wairarapa representative, Graeme Tindall. There were 32 qualifiers, and two rounds of post-section have brought that number down to eight, who will play off at Terrace End on Saturday.

As with the women, it is a mix of the established and the new, and one bowler who is really standing up is Terrace End's Grant Simms. He followed up his last-eight at the national pairs with a win over Philip Skoglund.

Scottie McGavin from Bulls is another bowler who is not long back in the game and exudes talent.

The last eight draw: Pat Hrgan (PN) v Ross Ellery (PN), Jason Moore (Te Kawau) v Barry Wynks (Takaro), Brian Looker (Terrace End) v Colin Lozell (Northern), Scottie McGavin (Bulls) v Grant Simms (Terrace End).

Takaro inform me that the two-day triples, advertised in the handbook for February 20-21, is actually a Classic Fours, a formula which has become very popular.

I am told that Hokowhitu's two-day women's classic, held last week, was an outstanding tournament – well-organised and supported.

It was once a tournament that someone needed to die for a place to become available and while that is not now the case, it is still well patronised.

Shirley Urquhart is taking the names of anyone who would like to be added to the invitation list.

Among the tournament's features are prizes for each day and an aggregate prize, so eight teams were actually in the money with the ageless Bev Budd's team taking the overall prize.

This weekend will see all centre tournaments completed and all bowlers should spare a thought for supervisors and umpires who give so freely of their time to run these tournaments.

The game is very much for the players, but we are very reliant on their support.

email tony.jensen@aon.co.nz

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