Results – Champ of Champ Mixed 2-4-2 Pairs – Saturday 24 May 2025

Takapuna, thanks to Simon Poppleton and Keiko Kurohara, became the second winners of the North Harbour 2-4-2 mixed pairs title with a memorable victory at Browns Bay on Saturday.  In the final they won a tense final against the talented Birkenhead sister-brother combination of Millie and Chad Nathan, the 13-12 scoreline a reflection of how competitive and closely fourth the entire tournament had been.

But the chief drama came in Takapuna’s semi-final over Milford’s Charlie McDonald and former Takapuna member and prominent umpire, Sue Rossiter.
Milford came to the 11th and second last end ahead by 9-5. But in what was an astonishing recovery Takapuna picked up on a five on that end then clinched an 11-9 win when Simon ditched the jack with his last bowl.

It was Simon’s second Harbour title to go with the men’s championship pairs he won last season with Jason Parker, while for Keiko it was her first. It’s an honour which generally will be well received as in her few seasons in the Harbour centre the Japanese international has won many admirers not only for her ability but also for her pleasant manner.

Simon and Keiko will now represent the centre at the national play-offs at Tauranga on August 29-31.

In their semi-final the Nathan siblings had another close result, 10-9 over Mairangi Bay’s Allen Langley and Sheryl Wellington, the same scoreline they achieved in the first round over Manly’s Keith Benson and Helen Briant.

Several other matches were won or lost by one shot, including that in the first round between Adrienne Bent and Scott Wilson, from Omaha Beach, and that of two multiple centre champions, Brown’s Bay’s redoubtable Colin Rogan and Lin East. In a big upset the Omaha pair won that 12-11.

Another illustrious player, former Black Jack Wendy Jensen, also went out in the first round. She and her Wellsford partner, Steve Card, lost 21-9 to the Hobsonville pair of Fred Pereeti and Carol Voshaar.