Results – BNH Mixed 2-4-2 Pairs – 17th & 18th September 2022
Birkenhead’s Trish Croot, one of the centre’s most consistent women’s players in recent seasons, secured her gold star for winning five centre titles in the mixed pairs two-four-two championship.
She and her Birkenhead club-mate Mark Rumble won a close final on Sunday at Hobsonville against Takapuna’s Lauren Mills and Bob Telfer 12-10, after an extra end was needed when after the scheduled number of ends the scores were tied 10-all.
While it was Trish’s milestone victory and her second in this event there was also satisfaction for Rumble. Despite his good record, especially with his club in team events, this was his first centre title.
Not only is Trish among the centre’s best women bowlers she is a major contributor to both her club and centre in other spheres. She is a qualified umpire and coach and has become the chief selector for the women’s representative team.
The finalists clearly were the best two in the competition and in post-section play leading to the final were in scintillating form.
Croot and Rumble won their quarter-final over Riverhead’s Steve Gordon and Helensville’s Jen Hart 16-9 and their semi-final over Browns Bay’s Brian Wilson and Jan Harrison 12-7.
With Telfer recapturing some of the touch which two or three years ago won him much success at junior level he and Mills won their quarter-final over Birkenhead’s Jamie Chen and Steve Yates 17-6 and their semi-final over Riverhead’s Steve Cox and Browns Bay’s Judy Smith 14-4.
A high standard of competition was shown by the many top combinations who failed to qualify, some of them a little unluckily. Among these were a number of former champions in this event including Colin Rogan, Elaine McClintock, Daymon Pierson and Christeen Dalzell and the recent winner of two Commonwealth Games bronze medals, Selina Goddard.
She partnered her promising Takapuna club-mate Shaun Goldsbury, just a second year player. Fellow Takapuna players Ian McKenzie and Lyn Calver and Garry Banks and Robyne Walker inflicted defeats on them in the qualifying rounds.
Another strong pairing, John Walker and Lisa Dickson, made post-section but lost by one in the quarter-finals to Wilson and Harrison. There was another one-point loss in the quarters by Evan Thomas and Tira Campbell to Cox and Smith.
