Indoor bowlers break through, twice
The Masters team are national champs: from left, Anthony Hitchcock, Jude Tootell, Lois Randall and Ian Henson. Photos supplied
The Marlborough indoor bowls fraternity are celebrating two significant recent achievements.
Two teams from the province travelled out of town and came home with prestigious and much sought-after prizes.
The Marlborough Masters fours team (over 60s) travelled to Pukekohe last weekend to compete against seven other teams that had qualified from their region.
The Marlborough team first won the Marlborough competition and then the top of the south zonal competition to get to the national event, which was played as a round robin.
They excelled in the far north, winning six of their matches and drawing one.
This is the first-ever national title by a Marlborough team or individual.
The team comprised: Anthony Hitchcock, Jude Tootell, Lois Randall and Ian Henson.
Paterson Trophy
Meanwhile, the Marlborough’s representative team broke a 34-year drought with victory in the annual Paterson Trophy fixture.
The division four (South) Interprovincial competition was played in Christchurch on 28-30 August.
Marlborough were up against five other districts - North Otago, Central Otago, Nelson, Buller and Golden Bay/ Motueka.
They competed over five rounds of fours, pairs and singles against each district, playing one round on Friday, three rounds on a lengthy Saturday (bowlers on the mat from 8.30am to 11.30pm) and the final round on Sunday.
Going into the final round of pairs on Sunday, Marlborough sat level on points with Central Otago, needing to do better than them in the pairs to claim the prestigious trophy. Marlborough only managed to win two of their four pairs, meaning the team had an anxious wait to see how Central Otago fared. However, the southerners lost three of their pairs, clearing the path for Marlborough to claim victory and promotion to division three for next season.
This was the first time that Marlborough had won a Paterson Trophy since 1990.
Final scores: Marlborough 108.5 pts; Central Otago 104; Golden Bay-Motueka 99.5; Nelson 99.5; North Otago 68.5; Buller 60.