COLIN Harris received a surprise 11th hour call-up to help out a bowls triples team that went on to win the Pakuranga Bowling Club open title.
He was asked by leading Pakuranga bowlers Neil Fisher and Gary Cotton to join their triples line-up after a back injury forced out Tony Botica, who was Harris’ first coach 20 years ago.
It didn’t take Harris very long to answer the call of Fisher and Cotton and the team eventually claimed the club’s men’s triples crown, defeating Bryan Chapman, Michael Hadrup and Mladen Sokol in the final 16-7 over 18 ends.
Harris is delighted because it’s the first open title he’s won at Pakuranga. The Air New Zealand flight captain and pilot instructor has not played as much bowls as others in recent years because of work commitments, but this summer he’s been able to have “played more this year than the past 10 years”.
The team led by Cotton now moves on to next month’s Auckland champion of champions triples tournament, competing against the best trios from across the region’s clubs. Cotton, who’s in his 38th year of bowls, is pleased to have captured his first title at Pakuranga, after moving east this season after a long association with Mangere Bowling Club.
Heading off to the champion of champions’ women’s singles is Pat Taylor, who beat club vice-president Jill Fraser in an exciting nail-biting Pakuranga final.
“Taylor had a commanding lead of 17-11 after 14 ends,” says club member Ray Mason.
“Fraser lifted her game to level the score at 20-20 after the 22nd end. Both players only needed one shot to win in the next end, which Taylor played brilliantly.”
Taylor has been a member at Pakuranga for 20 years and it’s the second open singles title she’s won, the last coming 12 years ago.
She enjoys the tough competition at the club, because “it’s hard to win anything at Pakuranga”.
Despite her defeat in the club final, Fraser has been in good form this season and is one of three Pakuranga women representing Auckland in inter-regional tournaments.
Fraser has been bowling for Auckland in singles, while Gaylene Harvey and Tania Wrigley are in the provincial fours team.
“We’re proud of the fact the club has four players in Auckland teams,” Fraser told the Times.
Fisher has also had the call-up from Auckland selectors, playing the singles for the province against other regions.
Regarded as one of the better bowlers in Auckland, Fisher has also been in top form in 2009/10, a record that started out in November when he was runner-up to New Zealand representative Richard Girvan in the professional NZ Open tournament at Henderson.
