BNH at the Summerset Nationals

Though several had the distinction of making post-sections, results for North Harbour bowlers in this week’s Summerset national mixed 2-4-2 pairs championship in Christchurch overall were disappointing.

  Black Jack Selina Goddard went deepest in the event, making the final 32 with her Wellington partner Robbie Bird, where they were ousted by two experienced bowlers, Rob Ashton and Linda Ralph.                      .

  Harbour’s other Black Jack Wendy Jensen, perhaps, was seen as the most likely to take the title as she was partnered by the multiple national champion, Gary Lawson. But they drew England’s world class player, Sam Tolchard, in the opening round of post-section and went down to him and his Dunedin-based partner, Sarah Scott.

 Two combinations from Takapuna, Jerry and Jacqui Belcher, and Steve Hoeft and Keiko Kurohara, did well as club pairings to make post-section but also were eliminated early, as were two other Harbour bowlers, David Eades and Jeni Hart.

 So, too, were Harbour players who were paired as composites, Bart Robertson, who partnered 2024 national women’s singles champion, Leanne Poulson, from Counties-Manukau, Graham Skellern, Grant Goodwin, Steve Cox, Hannah Dawson, Jamie Chen and Trish Croot.

  Bay of Plenty’s Dan Dickison and Sue Hodges won the final, beating Black Jack husband and wife, Lance Pascoe and Mandy Boyd, from Christchurch’s Elmwood Park, 11-8 in what was a tight contest featuring some quality bowls.

 It capped a great tournament for Hodges, who last weekend skipped her composite four to the runners-up position in the women’s fours championship. Despite being handicapped by a sore hip following eight consecutive days of bowling, she was able to produce winning shots in the crucial. Last year she won the national champion of champion singles title.