Victoria Bowling Club

Closing night enjoyed by all!

RichardC — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:39:34 +0000

Some pics from the club’s closing night (with some preparing for the F.A Cup Final a bit later…)

Day 2 Results – Icing on cake for Keith and Mathews

RichardC — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:12:52 +0000

It was icing on the cake for a tremendous season for Canterbury’s Sandra Keith and Serena Mathews as they won a tough battle against wily campaigners Tui Opai and Judy Howat from The Park, Kilbirnie club 12-7 in the final of the 2012 Speight’s Victoria Women’s Invitation 2-4-2 Pairs on Sunday. Despite increasingly difficult conditions including a squall passing through halfway through the final, great quality draw bowls and upshots were played by both teams making the result difficult to predict until a couple of fairly lucky shots went the Canterbury team’s way in the penultimate end. Keith and Mathews picked up the $2000 first prize to go with their recent National club triples title, and Keith’s two other national titles to cap off an incredible season.

Although both pairs finalists went through the second day pool play unbeaten, special praise was heaped upon National secondary schools champion Nicole Toomey and Wellington Champ of champ Junior Singles champion Kylee Matenga who came very close to upsetting Opai and Howat in Pool B and finished with superior differential despite that loss, for a share of third place. Coming through Pool A to be equal third were the Taranaki pair of Lois Ritson and Ellie Goble. The plate competition was shared by Island Bay’s Sarah Taukamo and Tanya Wheeler, and the composite pair of Robyn Fitzgerald (Hutt) and Kay Martin (Tawa).

Full coverage can be found on our Invitation 2-4-2 Pairs page.

Day 1 Results – Griffin replaced by Boyd; Ralph and Wishnowsky miss out

RichardC — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:14:56 +0000

The big news on Day 1 of the 6th Women’s Invitation Pairs at Victoria was the forced withdrawal of reigning champion Leigh Griffin due to an elbow injury. Griffin played the first match and four ends of the second match before a fairly handy replacement could arrive in the form of New Zealand representative Mandy Boyd (Johnsonville). Boyd and Kirsten Griffin will be a favoured combination in Day 2 which could result in Kirsten winning the event three times running but with three different partners.

The big name casualty from Day 1 was National club singles champion Linda Ralph from Auckland playing with Johnsonville’s Lui Hare, who lost their first game against Wellington Centre title record holder and former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Judy Howat (partnered with Tui Opai) in the first game by four shots, and lost the last game to Griffin and Boyd by five shots.

Also relegated to the plate for Day 2 was former winner Patricia Wishnowsky (Petone Central) who teamed with Titahi Bay’s Jo Climo, but lost their opening match to the up-and-coming pair of National Secondary Schools Champion Nicole Toomey (Victoria) and Wellington Champ of Champ Junior Singles winner Kylee Matenga (Wainuiomata) by six shots.

Form Johnsonville player Paula Meredith, fresh from winning back-to-back Wellington Champ of Champ Triples and Fours titles, partnered with Victoria’s Kay Carr, had to rely on superior shot differential to qualify for the main event after being upset in the first match by Mary-Ann Wilson (Victoria) and Christine Allan (Bay of Plenty).

Other favoured pairings Serena Mathews and Sandra Keith (Canterbury), Karen Coombe (Wanganui) and Helen King (Victoria), and Val Symes (Canterbury) and Lisa White (Victoria) made it through to the Day 2 Main Event comfortably.

Full results can be found on the Invitation 2-4-2 Pairs page.

6th Speight’s Invitation Women’s Pairs draw published…

RichardC — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:50:03 +0000

Victoria’s Kirsten and Leigh Griffin will start as one of the favourites as they battle to defend their Victoria Women’s Invitation Pairs title this weekend. The field is again a tough one with some great names in each section. The Griffins will need to get through Wellington Centre title record holder and former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Judy Howat (partnered with Tui Opai), and newly crowned National club singles champion Linda Ralph from Auckland (playing with Johnsonville’s Lui Hare) in Section 1.

Their biggest danger to the title may come from Section 2 from the freshly crowned National club triples champions Serena Matthews and Sandra Keith (Canterbury). This has been a stellar year from NZ indoor bowls representative Keith who has picked up three national titles. The big clash in Section 2 will be when they face off against Johnsonville’s Paula Meredith partnered with Victoria’s Kay Carr. Meredith has picked up back-to-back Wellington titles in the last two weeks winning the Champ of Champ Triples and Fours.

Former winners Karen Coombe (Wanganui) and Helen King (Victoria) headline Section 3 but will have to watch out for King’s lead in the recent National club fours finals, and newly promoted NZ senior team member Lisa White (Victoria) who is paired with Canterbury’s Val Symes. White will be travelling to Adelaide next month for a 6-Nations tournament in the build-up for the World Bowls Champs there later this year.

Section 4 is perhaps the most wide open section but includes former winner Pat Wishnowsky (Petone Central) who has teamed with Titahi Bay’s Jo Climo.

The full draw is available on our Invitation 2-4-2 Pairs page.

Well done Wayne!

RichardC — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:40:49 +0000

In an awesome effort Wayne Coleman finished third in the National Grant’s Whiskey Corner-2-corner finals at the Mt Eden club in Auckland at the weekend. He thought he may have played the winning shot within arm’s reach of the opposite corner but not one but two bowls beat his. The event was won by Shona Mann (Dunedin) who earned $3,000 for the North-East Valley club.

Well done Lisa, Kirsten & Leigh!

RichardC — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:12:20 +0000

Well done to Lisa White, Kirsten and Leigh Griffin for reaching the semifinals of the Wellington Champ of Champ Triples at the Johnsonville club on Sunday. Unfortunately they dipped out to the eventual champions and home club team of Hilda Abraham, Janet Nehemia and Paul Meredith 19-11.

Johnsonville now take a 9 point lead in the Wellington Women’s Club of the Year race going into the final event this coming weekend when the Wellington Champ of Champ Fours is played at Naenae. The fat lady is clearing her throat but you never know when she will lose her voice…

Well done Rich & Ray!

RichardC — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:57:14 +0000

Congratulations to Richard Corry and Raymond Martin who teamed with Rob Ashton (Johnsonville) to come runner-up in the Henselite $20,000 International Invitation Triples at the Onehunga club in Auckland over the weekend. They fell in the final to Brian Bateman, Kevin Robinson and Richard Girvan 15-9 after having beaten the fancied triple of Justin Goodwin, Shane McIlroy and Jamie Hill in the semifinal.

Well done Tim!

RichardC — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:25:57 +0000

Tim Toomey finished runner-up to Monte Pawa (Far North) 10-4, 11-2 in this year’s Kittyhawk National Under-20 Men’s Singles final at the Pakuranga club in Auckland over the weekend. Tim had to battle hard to get to the final coming from a set down in both his quarterfinal and semifinal, and only qualified for the main event on shots won after wins, sets, and net sets were tied!

Sister Nicole also reached the main event of the Under-20 Women’s Singles but dipped out in the quarterfinals to the eventual winner Holly McIlroy (Auckland) 11-4, 6-6.

Well done Kirsten & Leigh!

RichardC — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:55:57 +0000

Just two weeks after picking up the Champ of Champ Singles title, Leigh Griffin charged on to her 23rd Wellington Centre title with daughter Kirsten, winning the Wellington Easter 2-4-2 Pairs. They easily won the final over Christine Robertson and Fiona McKinley (Hutt) 22-8 at the Island Bay club which gave Kirsten her 4th Centre title in as many seasons.

The result makes the last two Champ of Champ events very interesting with the Wellington Womens Club of the Year going down to the wire between Victoria and Johnsonville…

Lisa joins 6 Nations Squad!

RichardC — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:32:47 +0000

After constant standout performances Lisa White has been added to the New Zealand 6 Nations Squad which will compete in Adelaide in May.

Lisa has spent two seasons as a member of the Wellington Talent Development Squad, and been monitored by New Zealand selectors who have been impressed with her performances, convincing them to give her a shot in Adelaide.

Taking part in the Development Trans Tasman which was held in Invercargill in early May, Lisa was part of the women’s team which narrowly missed out on taking home the cup. She then went on to represent Wellington in the Intercentre finals held in Auckland. National Coach Dave Edwards says that “Lisa deserves the chance in Adelaide”

The 6 Nations will run from 15-20^th May in Adelaide, Australia