Mens Pairs this weekend – Preview by Lindsay Knight

  • February 11, 2020

 Last year’s surprise winners, Gordon Smith and Harry Moore, will face some early challenges in their bid this weekend to defend the centre’s men’s pairs championship.

 Smith and Moore, from the small but highly competitive Riverhead club, will be in one of the three sections at the Takapuna club and in their qualifying matches will face well performed combinations in Birkenhead’s Randall Watkins and Daymon Pierson and Mairangi Bay’s David Payne and Wayne Glogoski.

  Another tough section at Takapuna will feature multiple centre champions, Browns Bay’s Colin Rogan and John Walker, Birkenhead’s John Hindmarch and Mike Haggart and Takapuna’s Trevor Forward and Paul Freeth.

  Several heavyweight combos will also contest the several sections being held at the headquarters club, Mairangi Bay.

 Former Black Jack Tony Grantham and his Browns Bay partner Adam Haywood will be in a section alongside Birkenhead father and son, Peter and Chad Nathan, and Takapuna’s vastly experienced Brett O’Riley and Graham Skellern.

 Also at Mairangi are the likes of another former Black Jack, Kerry Chapman, and Denis Bawden (Browns Bay), and playing under the Helensville banner, David Eades and Bart Robertson.

 Chapman, who has played little bowls this season, and Bawden find themselves in yet another cut-throat section which also includes Northcote’s Brent Malcolm and Greg Taylor and Orewa’s Walter Howden and Bruce McClintock.

 Because of additional entries a revised draw has meant Browns Bay will now host two sections, with posts-section play at Mairangi Bay on Sunday.