John O’Shea, a regular Bay representative, put on a superb display of drawing on different green speeds to land two notable centre champion of champions titles over the weekend of April 3 and 4.
First, he won the champ of champs singles, beating Papamoa’s gallant Ron Crimlis 21-20 in the final on the slower Tauranga South surface.
Then, O’Shea skipped Lance Tasker to overcome the strong Mount Maunganui combination of Nic Tomsett and Steve Beel 13-9 in the final of the champ of champs pairs on the faster hometrack at the Tauranga Domain.
It was a big weekend of celebration for the Tauranga Club which collected all four titles on offer. Sue Hodges, another established rep player, beat Ohope’s Christine Allan 21-10 in the final of the women’s champ of champs singles.
Bay selector Gayle Melrose and former international Mary Campbell ran away with the pairs championship, beating Katikati’s Hein Mack and Kim Kenyon 22-8 in the fading light at the Mount Club.
O’Shea had to call on all his experience and resilience to finally wear down his former clubmate Crimlis, who lead 20-16 in the final.
O’Shea jumped out to a 9-2 lead but the match tightened up at 10-all. O’Shea still led at 15-12 and Crimlis overcame a pesky bee to draw three shots, with O’Shea missing a forehand runner on his last bowl.
Crimlis raced to18-15 lead after picking up another three shots but O’Shea picked up a vital triple to trail 20-19. Then O’Shea’s drawing prowess came into play with two close bowls on a tight, final end and Crimlis couldn’t reduce the count. A couple of different shot selections by Crimlis on the last two ends could have made a world of difference.
O’Shea overcame fellow Bay rep Anthony Ouellet 21-18 in the semi-finals, and Crimlis was too steady for Te Puke’s Alan Brown, winning 21-8.
In the pairs final, there were several occasions when O’Shea closed down opportunities for Tomsett and Beel with precise and telling draw shots. The Mount pair jumped out to a 5-2 lead but the match was level at 7-all after 10 ends.
The experienced pairing of O’Shea and Tasker then kept things tight to lead 12-7 after 13 ends. Though Tomsett and Beel picked up singles over the next two ends, fetching a three on the final end was a bridge too far.
The Tauranga women were in outstanding form to record convincing victories in their events. Hodges beat fellow Bay representatives Wendy Green and Raewyn Willis 21-15 on her way to the final.
Melrose and Campbell cruised through their quarter and semi-finals, beating Te Puke’s Adrienne Reid 28-3 and Bay junior selector Janice Paap (Papamoa) 18-7.
Jeff Meekings (Omokoroa) and Erica Mirando (Katikati) captured the junior champ of champs singles titles. Meekings beat Whakatane’s Brent Johnson 21-13 in the final, and Mirando, a very consistent player, overcame Petrina Riley (Whakatane) 21-15 in their final.
Champion of champions results:
Men’s singles: Quarter-finals: Ron Crimlis (Papamoa) 21 John Simon (Mount Maunganui, left) 4; Alan Brown (Te Puke) 21 Lance Bell (Turangi) 6; John O’Shea (Tauranga) 21 Scott McInvimey (Arawa) 6; Anthony Ouellet (Tauranga South) 21 Deryck Scott (Omokoroa) 10.
Semi-finals: Crimlis 21 Brown 8; O’Shea 21 Ouellet 18. Final: O’Shea 21 Crimlis 20.
Men’s pairs: Quarter-finals: O’Shea/Lance Tasker (Tauranga) 18 Bell/Daniel Siddells (Turangi) 17; John Dowie/Joe Ngamotu (Kawerau) 16 Crimlis/Bill Brown (Papamoa)5; Phil Morgan/Merv Gibbons (Te Puke) 20 Gary Glasgow/Rob Neale (Whakatane) 7;Nic Tomsett/Steve Beel (Mount) 19 John Hornell/Brian Davies (Ohope) 6.
Semi-finals: O’Shea 17 Dowie 15; Tomsett 16 Morgan 15. Final: O’Shea 13 Beel 9.
Women’s singles: Quarter-finals: Christine Allan (Ohope) 21 Joy Scott (Katikati) 19; Jean Morris (Matua) 21 Lynda Copeland (Te Puke) 15; Raewyn Willis (Mount) 21 Lynda Bouschat (Omokoroa) 11; Sue Hodges (Tauranga) 21 Wendy Green (Ngongotaha) 15.
Semi-finals: Allan 21 Morris 15; Hodges 21 Willis 15. Final: Hodges 21 Allan 10.
Women’s pairs: Quarter-finals: Hein Mack/Kim Kenyon (Katikati) 23 Lynette White/Kate Robbie (Whakatane) 14; Suzanne Meek/Zena McLellan (Arawa) 20 Gloria Duffin/Deidre Parkes (South) 4; Janice Paap/Gail Duncan (Papamoa) 16 Willis/Mary Conroy (Mount) 12; Gayle Melrose/Mary Campbell (Tauranga) 28 Adrienne Reid/Margaret Barlow (Te Puke) 3.
Semi-finals: Mack 19 Meek 11; Melrose 18 Paap 7. Final: Melrose 22 Mack 8.
Junior men’s singles: Quarter-finals: Brent Johnson (Whakatane) 21 Merv Williams (Rotorua) 14; Warren Harford (Mount) 21 Robin Bell (Rotorua East) 7; Jeff Meekings (Omokoroa) 21 Warren Ingall (Papamoa) 11; Regan Williams (Te Puke) 21 Ashley Snookes (Reporoa) 9.
Semi-finals: Johnson 21 Harford 16; Meekings 21 Williams 15. Final: Meekings 21 Johnson 13.
Junior women’s singles: Quarter-finals: Erica Mirando (Katikati) 21 Suzanne Walmsley (Rotorua East) 5; Fiona Davis (Papamoa) 21 Kyra Walker (Kawerau) 13; Petrina Riley(Whakatane) 21 Katrina Stepec (Ohope) 5; Caitlin Thomson (Tauranga) 21 Karen Wright (Omokoroa) 16.
Semi-finals: Mirando 21 Davis 18; Riley 21 Thomson 15. Final: Mirando 21 Riley 15.