Surrounded by past and present Blackjacks, Canterbury composite Craig Carter and Tom Tamati have somewhat defied the bookies’ odds to prevail in the 2022 Stoke Stakes Men's Pairs in Nelson, holding their nerve in a thrilling final against Auckland/Canterbury pairing Jordan King and Nathan Glasson, 20-16.

 

Carter, who himself has been in promising form in recent seasons - including third equal in the prestigious Burnside Pairs earlier this year, combined expertly with Tamati to emerge

as this year's winners, claiming some notable scalps on their way and showcasing some elite level bowls between them.

 

Intriguingly, Carter and Tamati were late call-ups to the star-studded field, getting the nod after their Nelson Fours team mates were unable to play due to other commitments - talk about making the most of the opportunity, right?

 

After two days of qualifying at both Stoke and Motueka greens, the top two in each of the four sections progressed to post-section play with the following combinations joining the Carter and King pairings; Mike Kernaghan and Peter Thorne, Sheldon Bagrie-Howley and Caleb Hope, Lance Pascoe and Jamie Hill, Andrew Kelly and Seamus Curtin, Pete Hodson and Robbie Reed and Raymond Martin and Matt Pearson - all former New Zealand representatives or national champions.

 

The Finals' Day saw Kernaghan and Thorne dispatch Bagrie-Howley, Carter and Tamati defeat 2021 national men's pairs champions Pascoe and Hill, reigning men's pairs champions Kelly and Curtin defeat homegreen hopes Hodson and Reed, while King and Glasson edged past last year's runner-ups Martin and Pearson on an extra end.

 

The semi-finals saw Carter and Tamati, who by all accounts were paying a staggering $81 at the TAB to win, continue their giant-killing ways, halting Kernaghan and Thorne and setting up a final opposite King and Glasson - who equally pressed Kelly and Curtin out of the spoils in an impressive semi-final showing on Sunday afternoon.

 

Getting out of the blocks early in the final, Carter and Tamati continued to build on their established momentum - racing out to a 10-4 lead after eight ends. Not to be outdone, King and Glasson staged a strong fightback of their own, scoring a five on their way back up the ledger and taking a 14-11 lead after 12 of the eighteen scheduled ends.

 

The next few ends saw some close finishes, with Carter edging out to a 17-16 lead playing the last. Three sensational bowls off the front from Glasson piled the pressure on the Canterbury composite, though with his final bowl, Tamati proved up to the task and nudged the jack back several inches to cross over with match winning-lie. Three drive attempts from

King were unsuccessful, with Carter and Tamati claiming the win and securing the $8,000 winners' cheque for their mighty efforts.

 

The result rounds out a mammoth 10-days in the Nelson province, with both the men's and women's Stoke Stakes Pairs and the Nelson Bowling Club Premier Fours all taking place consecutively, attracting some of the best players from all corners of the country.

 

Commenting on the Stoke-based events, tournament convenor Brendan Hodgson said it was another successful year with some high quality bowls on display.

 

“We’re really appreciative that the Stoke Club are ambitious and continue to do their best to create high performance events . . . and of course, that’s a big thanks to the calibre of players that support these tournaments also . . . we love hosting them and we always look forward to the next instalment,” Hodgson said.

 

“A huge thank you to everyone involved in both our men’s and inaugural women’s pairs, to the Motueka Club for putting up their green for qualifying and to all the sponsors that have made these last couple of weeks possible - cheers!”

 

All three events will return to the Summer of Bowls programme in 2023.

 

-Sam Morton

 

 

 

 

 

 

Results at a Glance
Nelson Pine Industries LVL Stoke Stakes Men’s Pairs, Nelson

 

Final

Carter def King

Semi-final

Carter def Kernaghan

King def Kelly

Quarter-finals

Mike Kernaghan and Peter Thorne def Sheldon Bagrie-Howley and Caleb Hope

Andrew Kelly and Seamus Curtin def Pete Hodson and Robbie Reed

Craig Carter and Tom Tamati def Lance Pascoe and Jamie Hill

Jordan King and Nathan Glasson def Raymond Martin and Matt Pearson