As the 2023 Summerset National Fours rolls on, this year’s finalists have emerged with the men down to the last eight and the women through to the semi-finals in Central Otago.
With some early round upsets in the men’s field, the competition has been blown wide open with past and present New Zealand representatives falling away, and some strong provincial composites making a name for themselves.
Te Rangi quartet Stephen Sanders, Jason Heffer, Earl Doidge and Graham Low turned heads in the opening round, dispatching the powerhouse four of Gary Lawson, Jamie Hill, Tony Grantham and Neville Rodda in a one-shot thriller, before going on to defeat the formidable Wellington side of Robbie Bird, Stephen Brien, Robert Yemm and John Brien, securing a quarter-finals berth. Sanders and Co will now take on Dunedin composite Blair Barringer, Michael Wood, Malcolm Wilson and Robbie Thomson, with Barringer’s contingent travelling largely under the radar until now.
Also falling victim to a solitary point loss, the New Zealand-esque four of Andrew Kelly, Raymond Martin, Finbar McGuigan and Seamus Curtin - narrowly dipping out to the vastly experienced line-up of Rob Ashton, Petar Sain, Steve Hoeft and Nick Thompson. Ashton's heroics were short-lived, with the South Canterbury four of Sean O’Neill, Barrie Andrews, Tom Taiaroa and Shayne Chisnall putting a stop to any run, 15-10, before themselves falling at the hands of composite Rodney Greaney, Paul Matheson, Adrian Robins and Kevan Greenwood, 20-11.
In other results, Mike Galloway’s charges of David Clark, Martin Dixon and Jordan King continue to loom large, surviving a first round scare, before going on to post comfortable wins opposite Bob McAuley and Co, and the Lance Pascoe-skipped four of Kelvin Scott, Nathan Glasson and Rory Soden.
Defending champions Maurice Symes, John Gray, Steve Beel and Craig Macdonell had any hopes of a back-to-back effort dashed, with the in-form Raika Gregory, Kelvin Budge, Robert Bennett and David Budge putting on a clinic - also going on to halt the title run of Taylor Horn, Aiden Takarua, Jesse Russell and Jonty Horwell, 16-12, and identifying themselves as strong contenders.
Gregory will line-up against Graham Skellern’s composite of Kevin Asplin, Benjamin Thurston and Graham Growcott, while national singles champion Sheldon Bagrie-Howley and his star-studded trio Caleb Hope, Keanu Darby and Oliver Mason will be ones to watch heading into the finals action on Sunday, following their televised win opposite local hopes Trevor Drake, Ralf Milne, Ross Brown and Lindsay Thomas, 23-14.
Bagrie-Howley will now play fellow Southland representative Craig Merrilees, who has teamed up with young gun David Motu, Craig Tinker and Gavin Hamlyn - proving to be a formidable composite as the tournament progresses.
Meanwhile, with fewer rounds required in the women’s event, the final four teams have been found.
Unsurprisingly, reigning champions Mandy Boyd, Kirsten Edwards, Amy McIlroy and Angela Boyd have progressed through - remaining relatively unscathed in their two post-section rounds on Saturday, 16-2 and 21-7.
Joining Boyd will be Southland/Central Otago composite Lynda Milne, Linley O’Callaghan, Angela Johnstone and Christine Buchanan, who earlier accounted for the strong Kia Toa four of Sharon Leonard, Shirley Moffatt, Julie Robins and Janice Williams, 24-8.
The other semi-final will see New Zealand Blackjack Val Smith, Deb White, Ashleigh Jeffcoat and Kimberley Hemingway go head-to-head with Valerie Symes, Glenda Bishop Kiri Bond and Colleen Robbins, in what should prove to be two entertaining semi-final match-ups.
In the quarter-finals, Smith defeated Clare Hendra, Natarsha Grimshaw, Kirsty Hill and Kennie Critchlow, while Symes accounted for Sue Hodges, Charlene Puaaka Beckett, Mina Paul and Beth Brown. The other beaten quarter-finalist proved to be Margaret O’Connor, Anne Dorreen, Robyne Walker and Elizabeth Anderson - unable to respond to the power of Boyd’s four.
The finals action will get underway on Sunday, with play broadcast live on the Bowls New Zealand Youtube channel from midday.
-Sam Morton
FINALS AT A GLANCE
2023 SUMMERSET NATIONAL FOURS, CENTRAL OTAGO
Men
Craig Merrilees, David Motu, Craig Tinker, Gavin Hamlyn (composite) v Sheldon Bagrie-Howley, Caleb Hope, Keanu Darby, Oliver Mason (composite)
Mike Galloway, David Clark, Martin Dixon, Jordan King (composite) v Rodney Greaney, Paul Matheson, Adrian Robins, Kevan Greenwood (composite)
Graham Skellern, Kevin Asplin, Benjamin Thurston, Graham Growcott (composite) v Raika Gregory, Kelvin Budge, Robert Bennett, David Budge (composite)
Stephen Sanders, Jason Heffer, Earl Doidge, Graham Low (Te Rangi, Southland) v Blair Barringer, Michael Wood, Malcolm Wilson, Robbie Thomson (composite)
Women
Lynda Milne, Linley O’Callaghan, Angela Johnstone, Christine Buchanan (composite) v Mandy Boyd, Kirsten Edwards, Amy McIlroy, Angela Boyd (composite)
Val Smith, Deb White, Ashleigh Jeffcoat, Kimberley Hemingway (composite) v Val Symes, Glenda Bishop, Kiri Bond, Colleen Robbins
