Metlifecare NZ Masters – What a Week!! – 29 Sept to 3 Oct 2025
Northland bowling legend, Ann Muir, was the star of the Metlifecare Bowls North Harbour Masters tournament, winning all three of the disciples for which she was entered. The former Black Jack and national champion teamed up with another stalwart of the Northland centre, Ian Bowick, to win the 75 plus mixed pairs title, with Jill Fraser to win the 75 plus women’s pairs and finally the 75 plus women’s fours. It was an effort that belied her 80 years and was a notable feat for conditions for Friday’s finals day at Browns Bay were far from easy, especially for the fours late in the day when the showers were at their heaviest.
In the mixed pairs final Muir and Bowick beat Fraser and the national gold star from Auckland’s Carlton-Cornwall club, Petar Sain, 13-5, then in the women’s pairs she teamed up with Fraser to beat Manly’s Maureen Howden and Jan Harrison 12-6.
In the fours she and Fraser were joined by Clare Bowman and Jenny Welch in beating Takapuna’s Megan Ratcliffe, Lyn Calver, Irene Costello and Jan Calcott 12-10.
It was a good tournament for those from Northland, for in the women’s 60-74 fours final a composite from that centre, including accomplished bowlers like Sue Wightman and Diane Strawbridge, overcame Manly’s Helen Briant, Margaret Eames, Irene Donaldson and Kathy Stevens.
Despite the challenging conditions there was a good standard on the Browns Bay carpet and one or two upsets.
In the men’s 75 pairs Hobsonville’s Don Baker, aged 87, and another octogenarian, Henderson veteran Kerry Dye, pipped the multiple centre champion Neil Fisher and his Howick club-mate Brian Chapman 10-9.
And in the men’s 60-74 pairs another composite Gary Cotter and Greg Taylor recovered from dropping a five on the first end to beat Orewa’s Martin Hitchins and Garry Wallace 15-14.
The competitive aspect of each of these finals was illustrated by the fact that both were tied coming to the last of the 12 ends, the former at 9-all and the latter at 14-all.
There was a thrilling finish, too, to the women’s 60-74 pairs with Takapuna’s Robyne Walker and Leeanne Poulson edging Rona Turner and Lin East, from the host Browns Bay club, 11-9, virtually through Poulson’s last bowl. A recent national singles champion and Black Jack, Leeanne is clearly going to be an asset to the centre, following her move from Counties. It was a second consecutive success for Robyne as she won this title last year with Wendy Jensen.
Fisher and Chapman atoned for their pairs setback to partner the Browns Bay legends, John Walker and Colin Rogan, to a win in the men’s 75 plus fours, beating Manly’s Ron Bishop, Alister Collier, Chris Hewitt and Daniel Josephs 14-9 in the final, the Robbie Henson skipped four with Willie Lee, Keith Stewart and Mike Bradshaw, beat an Auckland composite skipped by Sam Toleke 15-9 in the 60-74 men’s final.
Another visitor, Frankie Lim, from the Counties centre, was among the champions, partnering Jamie Chen to the 60-74 mixed pairs title, 11-9 from Mairangi Bay’s Allan Langley and Sheryl Wellington.
