Mount Maunganui’s Paul Anderson has developed a liking for lifting the impressive Francis Cup, the symbol of supremacy in the Bay Open Men’s Fours.

When Anderson skipped his Mount/Omokoroa composite side to back-to-back championship victories at the Tauranga club on February 2, it was the second time he had achieved the feat.

Last time, Anderson led for Mount clubmates Steve Beel, Lance Tasker and Dean Worrall to win the fours in 2011 and 2012.

Beel, playing with Phil Morgan and Merv Gibbons, also shared Anderson’s feat with back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. John Gray and Doug Russell also joined the team in each of those years.

Anderson, Nathan Arlidge, Cliff Webber and Eric Pattillo won their second successive open fours title after a hard fought 13-10 victory over Dan Dickison, Alvin Gardiner, Graham Skellern and Ben Thurston, playing on their home green.

Dickison shot out to a 3-0 lead after two ends but Anderson’s team clawed back leads of 5-3 after 7 ends and 8-5 after 10. In the tight final, two twos and a single gave Dickison the edge 10-8 after 13 ends.

Anderson picked up two shots on the 14^th end and then the contest suddenly loosened up. On the penultimate 15^th end all the players couldn’t draw within a metre of the jack – looking at each other in bewilderment and frustration – until Anderson finally drew a close shot.

With his last bowl, Dickison was six down and he just rubbed off one of the front bowls to gain a much-relieved second shot.

In to the last end leading 11-10, Anderson’s side held two shots. Twice Dickison just missed driving the bowls off - and Anderson continued to rewrite the records book.

Anderson, Arlidge, Webber and Pattillo beat Te Puke’s Regan Williams, Greg Meredith, Ronnie Dinsdale and Merv Gibbons 17-4 in the semi-finals after losing to them 14-16 in the first round of qualifying.

The game was again tight at 4-all after 7 ends but then Anderson waltzed away by picking up a three, four twos and two singles over the next 7 ends.

Anderson’s team beat Matua’s Grant Turner, Ken Kennedy, Mark Taylor and Ross Harold 18-13 in the last 16, and Kawerau’s Jerekiah McLean, Darren Mitchell, Billy McLean and Barry Anderson 20-6 in the quarter-finals.

Dickison, Gardiner, Skellern and Thurston cruised through the tournament until the fateful final.

They beat Omokoroa’s Robbie Geerlings, Graham Needs, Scott Pickering and Bill Morrison 22-4 in the quarter-finals; and the composite side of Raika Gregory, Bryce Mackie, Jeff Meekings and Michael Staite 16-3 in the semi-finals.

Like he did in the business end of the Taranaki Open Fours a week earlier, Dickison made a strong start against Auckland representative Gregory, leading 7-0 after 5 ends. It was 8-3 after 9 ends and Dickison’s side picked up two threes and two singles to finish off the match.

Article added: Thursday 06 February 2025