Rep-elation by Lindsay Knight

While failing by just one shot to retain the national bowls title won in 2016 and 2017, head coach Graham Dorreen was still thrilled with the performance of the North Harbour one-to-eight year representative side at the weekend’s nationals.

In the final at the Howick club on Sunday Harbour lost the final to Bay of Plenty, with Harbour’s one win coming in the fours.

“We were very proud of all our players,” Dorreen said. “It’s absolutely brilliant to get into three finals in a row.”

After topping its qualifying section Harbour made the final with wins in the play-off over Dunedin and Wellington.

Singles player Daryl Read, a late inclusion for the unavailable Rory Soden in the side, narrowly lost his match in the final 21-20, his performance winning praise from Dorreen. And over the whole weekend the four, skipped by Brent Malcolm and with Daymon Pierson, Walter Howden and Jimmy Heath up front, and the pair of Bevan Smith and Errol Koroi each lost only one match.