Womens Singles roundup and upcoming Fours tournament – by Lindsay Knight

    Orewa’s Elaine McClintock, remaining calm as usual under pressure, secured her 12th North Harbour centre title, with a win at the weekend in the women’s singles championship at Browns Bay.

 In a high-quality final McClintock beat her fast finishing club-mate Lisa Parlane 21-15. At one stage she led 18-8 but then Parlane rallied and before finally clinching the win McClintock was stuck for three ends on 20.

 The semi-finals were also absorbing contests with the greater consistency of both McClintock and Parlane key factors in their respective wins over Takapuna’s two internationals, Wendy Jensen and Selina Smith.

 McClintock and Parlane, playing partners as well as friendly rivals, will now come together to launch a strong assault on the centre fours title next weekend. They will be joined by Christeen Dalzell and Bev Lomas.

 Orewa will have prominent representation in the event with several other solid fours, including that of Judith Seager, Kerin Roberts, Maureen Howden and Jan Harrison., all of whom have several centre titles.

 Jensen and Smith will be in a Takapuna four which also includes Anne Dorreen and Trish Hardy and back to defend the title they won last season will be Sunnybrae stalwarts, Jan Jones, Mary Gulbrandsen, Keryl Blackburn and Jan McGowan.

  In the women’s premier two team at the recent Rep fixture Adele Ineson and Millie Nathan had an unbeaten record in the pairs. This weekend Millie will be in a Birkenhead team skipped by Ruth Lynch while Adele is in Marguerite Sakey’s Takapuna four.

 Sixteen teams are in the event, with section play on Saturday at Browns Bay and with post-section play at Birkenhead on Sunday.

 There are 24 teams in the men’s championship four with the headquarters at Birkenhead.

 The winning Brown’s Bay four from the 2018-19 season, which was skipped by Scott Cottrell, won’t be back to defend their title for on a poignant note this line-up included centre legend Brett Turner, who, of course, passed away late last year.

 But there will be another significant Browns Bay presence in Neil Fisher, John Walker, Colin Rogan and Brian Wilson. In view of the recent win by the first three in the centre triples championship the Fisher four probably starts as favourites.

 There are, however, several other useful line-ups, a number of whom will clash in what could be some cut-throat section play. Grant Goodwin will skip an experienced Riverhead four which includes the talented Steve Cox.

 Birkenhead players Jack Huriwai and Jimmy Heath, recent runners-up in the championship pairs, warmed up with good performances in last weekend’s representative matches, winning two of their games for the premier two team. This weekend they are in a four skipped by Randall Watkins.

 Among the other contenders will be the fours skipped by David Eades (Orewa), John Hindmarch (Birkenhead), Nigel Drew (Birkenhead), Brent Malcolm (Northcote), Murray Radojkovich (Mairangi Bay), Leon Wech (Mairangi Bay), Bart Robertson (Helensville), Graham Skellern (Takapuna), Chris Taylor (Takapuna) and Norm Scott-Morrison (Takapuna).

Lindsay Knight