National Champion of Champion Triples 2024

If only indirectly Brendon Kelly gave North Harbour some interest in the national champion of champion triples events which were decided in Auckland on the weekend.
With Mairangi Bay not competing in the women’s championship because two of its winning centre triple were overseas, North Harbour had only minimal involvement with Riverhead contesting the men’s event.

However, Steve Cox, Gordon Smith and Duane McDonald won only one of their qualifying matches and did not make post-section play.

But Kelly, well known in Harbour bowls as the much acclaimed green-keeper at several of the centre’s clubs, notably Browns Bay, showed he also has considerable playing expertise.
He was part of a Te Atatu triple, along with Peter and Adam Blucher, which represented Auckland and which made the semi-finals, losing by only 18-17 to Kaylin Huwyler, Phil Huwyler and Kevan Sellers, from New Plymouth’s Paritutu club.

The Taranaki bowlers then lost the final 17-10 to Tim Hook, Dean Gilshnan and Jason Pearson, from Palmerston North’s Takaro club. For Gilshnan it was a second national title in as many season as in 2023 he won the mixed pairs.

The women’s title went to Kaye Bunn, Val Mathews and Adele French, from Thames Valley’s Thames Coast club, who beat Karen de Jongh, Linda Jeffries and Jocelyn Holten, from Waikato’s Hinuera club, 16-14.