Wellington Mixed Pairs – Final reached by Sarah

Final updates

Sarah Taukamo of Victoria is chasing her 7th Wellington title. She won 3 Wellington titles last year, is trying to add to that in new season at first opportunity. She’s playing with Mark O’Brien of Martinborough. They face a team that many had as pre-tournament favourites, Mandy Boyd and Trevor Pascoe.

The final finished a well deserved victory for Mandy Boyd and Trevor Pascoe, who played well all weekend by all accounts, and a fantastic final by Trevor in particular. Sarah & Mark didn’t quite get going to their usual standard in the final, couldn’t quite get the weight as the bowls were pulling up a bit earlier. A great showing by them this weekend though.

A great showing by Victoria, despite not getting hand on the trophy, with 5 of the 8 players in the semi-finals from Victoria, the King’s and the Toomey’s both also having good weekends to reach that far, but neither could quite add to their prior Mixed Pairs championships.

At Silverstream junior pairs, Antony and Jackie qualified in top section!

End by end updates of final:

12th end: Sarah sits out Trevor to hold 3. Side toucher for 4. Mandy gets 2nd. Sarah unlucky to go through gap between Mandy & kitty. Mark correctly tries to move it for big number, unlucky, 1 down. Shake hands time.

11th end: Trevor draws a toucher, Mark attacks and moves the kitty back. Trevor draws it again. And again! Sarah drags kitty back for 2! Big cheer and Sarah’s smile is back. 5-19

10th end: Mark holds shot a yard away off his first two. Mandy drives it off and they get 5. 3-19

9th end: Sarah two absolute bombs off the front. Trevor with a stunner, splits the shots, sits on it. Mark hits it, kitty goes back, but they go 2 down. 3-14

8th end: Trevor draws two great bowls early. Mandy adds another. As does Trevor again. 3-12

7th end: Mark draws a foot behind kitty, Trevor sits it out. Adds another. Sarah a bit skinny but hits theirs up, it’s a measure, but Trevor still holds. 3-8

6th end: Mark draws toucher off the front. Sarah unlucky to hit opposition bowl up for shot. Last bowl, Mark plays a goodie, pushes theirs onto that pretty white thing. 3-7

5th end: Trevor draws shot then draws a toucher dragging it closer to his previous. Sarah 4 down with her last, draws third shot. 2-7

4th end: Mark draws it off the front. Sarah adds. Last bowl Mark draws a toucher but unfortunately it’s now only one. 2-5

3rd end: Good opener from Sarah, but Mandy sits it out. This’ll be a good battle between these two. Sarah’s last bowl, she’s down several, a good attempt that would’ve been close to shot, but gets wooded. 1-5

2nd end: Last bowl Trevor rolls Mandy up for shot. 1-1

1st end: Trevor with shot, Mark lands it and touches kitty. Trevor through a small gap. Mandy gets a result off a drive. Sarah with a beauty, draws shot. Mandy driving again, unlucky. Good first end! 1-0

Semi-final updates

Nicole Toomey & Tim Toomey vs Sarah Taukamo & Mark O’Brien:

Sarah and Mark win to make the final. They were only behind once in match when they dropped a five.

16th end: Tim with two very good shots off the front. Mark with a good 3rd. Sarah clips kitty to make it near impossible for Toomey’s to move back. Shake hands time.

15th end: Toomey’s holding a few. Mark draws it. Tim gets it out clean. Mark draws it again. Nicole looking to sit shot, very close but instead hits theirs up for shot. Nic plays with weight again, unlucky to not get a better result. 11-15

14th end: Nic a few, cuts it to one. Mark still holding. Tim last bowl on the run, he’s close to the shot bowl… just needs past a front one, unfortunately just clips it or he had it all the way. 10-15

13th end: 2 good opening bowls by Sarah. Tim sits them for shot. Mark draws it back. Nic two down now, drives, on target, unlucky not to get both or kitty, still one down. 10-14

12th: Nicole 3 down draws a beauty. Sarah gets it out to hold 4. A hummer from Nicole to draw it again. Tim nearly added but just got clipped by a short bowl. 10-13

11th end: Tight head, one shot to Mark & Sarah 9-13

10th end: Sarah with a toucher, Tim cuts it to 1. 9-12

7th end: Tim heavy but drags kitty back. They add shots in to pick up 5. 9-8

6th end: Nic with a great draw in front of kitty. Tim sells out though last bowl to drop 1. 4-8

5th end replay: Sarah with a good weighted shot gets it on a tight head. 4-7

5th end: Mark with 2 good shots, Nic kills it.

4th end: 2 good bowls by Nic, Sarah makes crowd groan by just missing twice. 4-6

3rd end: Good shots by the Toomey’s, but Mark runs and kitty spills. Toomey’s still hold, and Nic adds. 2-6

2nd end: Tim with back jammer, but Sarah chips it out. Mark draws toucher, another 3. 0-6

1st end replay: Beautiful toucher by Sarah, they pick up 3. 0-3

1st end: Great start by Sarah, draws 2 shots. Nicole runs and misses, then Tim with first bowl of the middle 4, kills it. Could be a long match!

Ben King & Helen King vs Mandy Boyd & Trevor Pascoe:

Ben & Helen lose. From 10-7 up it didn’t go their way.

15th end: Ben drags kitty for 5! Mandy’s bowl needs checked if is in but it is, cuts it down to two. Helen hits out Mandy for four. 14-19

14th end: 10-19

13tg end: Trouble for Kings and they drop 3. 10-18

12th end. Bit of a looser end, Kings drop 2. 10-15

11th end. 3 good ones to Mandy/Trevor 10-13

10th end: Ben & Helen with great bowls on kitty. Last bowl Ben looks for Mandy’s third shot to try make 6. Trying to play under shots, but actually hits shot, kitty goes back to be down. 10-10

9th end: Helen drags kitty but it plonks right onto opposition bowl. Then Mandy puts one right on last bowl. 10-9

8th end: Ben draws it last bowl. 10-7

7th end: Mandy drives hits out a bunch of bowls but still down. 9-7

6th end: Nice draw bowls from Helen. 8-7

5th end: Ben sitting on kitty. Trevor draws it off, Ben with toucher spills kitty back. Mandy draws it. It’s 3 to them. 7-7

4th end: Helen with a very well drawn shot, and three of Ben’s also count 7-4

3rd end: Mandy gets kitty in ditch l, but now 2 down. 3-4

2nd end: Kings being outdrawn so far, but Ben last bowl drags kitty back for 1. 1-4

1st end: Trevor right behind kitty, the King’s kept swinging away on wide hand. 0-4

At Silverstream junior pairs, Antony and Jackie qualified top in section!

Ray lost 25-15 to Shannon down at North East Valley.

Quarter final updates

Toomey’s ahead 14-12 after 15. Last end, Toomey’s 3 down. Tim with last two bowls… with first runs and misses. Tim runs again, he’s distracted by a spectator and he’s a mile wide, but he hits opposition 3rd shot, and takes out the second as well to win by 1!!

Sarah and Mark won with several ends to go.

King’s won. Were 7 ahead on last.

Mandy Boyd with a big victory.

Of remaining 8 players in semis, 5 are Victorians!!

Down in North East Valley, Ray won quarter final, playing Shannon in semi-final.

Teams into quarter finals tomorrow at Johnsonville

2012 winners Tim & Nicole Toomey won by 1 vs Jimmy Madden & Jane Henderson. They play former Vic lad Naki Nehemia next who is with Janet, on their home track of course.

15-11 win for Ben & Helen King against Martinborough team Makaia Campbell & Scott McKenzie. It’s Jennie & Steve Critchlow of Naenae up next for them.

Sarah Taukamo playing with Mark O’Brien won 22-14 vs Mike Solomon and Anne Gately (Naenae). They play another Naenae team next, Wendy Mackie and Wayne Jones.

Great to be represented in 3 teams in final 8!

Should be able to update matches as they are played tomorrow.

On the Bowls Wellington site is the full post-section draw.

In the North East Valley singles also on this weekend, Ray Martin is in the quarter finals, playing Roger Stevens.

Jackie and Antony Foster are going well in the Silverstream junior pairs, had a victory vs one of the tournament and home team favourites.

Teams into Last 16

Toomey’s won vs Rintoul’s

Sarah playing with Mark O’Brien won.

Roy & Yvonne Gibb beat Wainui team who had knocked out one of our teams in morning.

Two-time tournament winners Ben & Helen King also won to get to last 16.

Mary-Ann lost on an extra end unfortunately.

Post-section first round

Roy & Yvonne Gibb came through a tight tussle against other Victoria member Ian McLeod who was with Sharman Buckle who started bowls at Vic. Their score was 12-11. The Gibb’s are now up against Ray Lovie from Wainui who won well in the morning vs Bazza & Nina.

Ben King & Helen King won 16-7 vs Lil George (Jville).

Laurie Guy & Leigh Griffin got a big 20-5 win vs Warwick Dugdale (Silverstream).

Mary-Ann Wilson going great playing with Hayden Frew, they won this morning vs Steve Crowhurst, are up next against Sar Alefosio.

It’s the end of this journey for Tanya & Sid who went down to Anne Sarancke of Tawa who yesterday knocked out Nairn & Fi by 1 shot in last round.

We had 3 teams with a bye this morning, so we have 7 teams through to the last 32! There are also 7 Johnsonville & Naenae teams, so a few clubs are making up a majority of the remaining field.

Qualifying

A successful opening day of the Bowls Specialist 2-4-2 Wellington Mixed Pairs for most Victoria teams, with a whole 10 teams getting through to post-section. Nearly 20% of remaining teams are a Victoria pair, or contain a Victoria player.

Some of our clan go up against each other this morning. 9am at Johnsonville is Roy Gibb & Yvonne Gibb vs Ian McLeod who is with Sharman Buckle. In the bye round playing at 11am in Tawa is Nicole Toomey & Tim Toomey vs Peter Rintoul & Robyn Rintoul. A real family affair!

Our Programme page lists where our players are playing.

Ben King & Helen King are the most recent Victoria winners of this event, they took it out two years ago, and also won it in 2005. Tim Toomey & Nicole Toomey were winners of it 9 years ago in a popular victory. Clare Hendra & Craig Merrilees of Silverstream are the current title holders.

Victoria past winners:

2019-20: Ben King & Helen King
2012-13: Tim Toomey & Nicole Toomey
2005-06: Ben King & Helen King
2004-05: Kay Carr (with Mark Noble)

Barbara Herrett actually won the inaugural title in 1993, though the tournament didn’t count towards a gold star until 1998.