Thrilling Finish Highlights Champ of Champ Mixed 2-4-2 Pairs Championship
The Bowls North Harbour playing calendar moved into high-stakes territory as the region’s premier club champions converged for the Champion of Champion Mixed 2-4-2 Pairs. The highly anticipated event culminated in an action-packed weekend of high-caliber bowls that kept spectators on the edge of their seats.
Day 1 kicked off under testing conditions at Waimauku, where the field was whittled down through intense qualifying rounds. The survivors then converged on the covered green at Bowls Orewa for Sunday’s high-drama knockout rounds, showcasing the exceptional talent and tactical depth of our region’s top club combinations.
High-Drama Qualifying & Tight Tussles
The 2-4-2 format is famous for leaving little room for error, requiring both lead and skip to adapt seamlessly to switching roles mid-end. Saturday’s section play delivered immediate drama with several matches coming down to the final bowl. The tightest tussle of the opening day saw a classic baseline battle where every shot mattered. The eventual semi-finalists just managed to squeeze through their final qualifying match with many games having just a margin of 3 or 4 shots, proving that composure under pressure is everything in Champion of Champion events.
The Business End: Semi-Finals
By Sunday morning, the atmosphere at Bowls Orewa was electric as the final four teams took to the green. Both semi-finals featured top-tier shot-making, but execution under the roof separated the contenders.
Semi-Final 1: Clinton Smith & Deanne Bronlund – Hobsonville vs. Frances Ryan & Steve Saric – Warkworth – A masterclass in draw bowls saw the first finalists stamp their authority early, turning a close 8–6 lead at the midpoint into a narrow 13–10 victory to Hobsonville.
Semi-Final 2: Wayne Harris & Cynthia Roper – Bowls Orewa vs. Margaret Eames & Kevin Rainsford – Manly – One of those games that the score does not reflect the closeness and the quality of both sides. Time and again when Bowls Orewa was there or thereabouts, a Manly bowl would arrive to add to the shot count or to move the jack to score multiples. Victory to Manly 19 – 7.
The Grand Final
The final was a showcase of premium draw bowling and tactical running shots. After trading singles over the first few ends, one combination found their rhythm on the Orewa surface, stringing together a crucial three-shot end followed by a double to create breathing room.
Despite a fierce late-game comeback from their opponents, the lead proved too substantial. With a clinical display of positional play on the final end, the newly crowned champions secured the title with a 16–11 victory, etching their names onto the honors board. Congratulations to Deanne Bronlund and Clinton Smith.
Congratulations to all the club champions who represented their teams with pride, and a massive thank you to Waimauku and Bowls Orewa for hosting, as well as the umpires and volunteers who kept the tournament running flawlessly.