NEW champions in both the men’s and women’s Zululand open fours were crowned at the Mtunzini Bowling Club last weekend.
In the women’s tournament, played on a round robin basis, Tish Cresswell-George, Helen Pieters, Lettie Eybers and M Theunissen from Richards Bay Bowling Club (RBY) claimed the runners-up spot by the slender margin of a single shot when they finished on 6+21, thus relegating Yvonne Steenkamp, Joey Evans, Ronell Greef and Olga Kayhards (RBY) to third place with a score of 6+20.
Deserving champions, however, were Dionne Beneke, Anita Scott, Jane Douglas and Esselle Schoeman (RBY), who completed the tournament with an unblemished record of played five, won five, which gave them a winning score of 10+40.
On their road to the title, they accounted for Cresswell-George 16-9 and Patricia Smith from Empangeni Bowling Club (EBC) 27-7, Rita Meyer from Empangeni Country Club Bowls (ECC) 18-13, Yvonne Steenkamp 14-10 and Pam Moodie from Mtunzini Bowling Club (MTZ) 15-11. An enviable record.
In the men’s group, section one was won by Miskiet Ferreira, Byron Mathias, Japie van Staden and Chalkie Kellaway (EBC) on 4+13.
Section two went to Barry Mutlow, Brian Scott, Hercules van Niekerk and George Stewart (RBY) 4+30 and section three was taken by Dion Leaity, Russell Morgan Danie Schoeman and Pat Stockwell (RBY) 3+11 when they pipped Brian Edwards (ECC) 3+8 on shot difference.
With Ferreira having gained a bye into the final, the only semi-final saw Mutlow up against Leaity with the latter leading from start to finish to earn his place in the final with a comfortable 21-9 victory.
In the final, the smart money would probably have been on the boys from the Bay, but it seems nobody had bothered to tell this to Ferreira and his team from the Empangeni Bowling Club.
They got off to a flier to lead 9-4 after six ends and, although Leaity fought back to be a single shot adrift 9-10 with three ends to play, Ferreira finished 4-2-1 to take the game 17-9, and with it the 2014 title.
