WEBBER SHIELD

Sunday.....

A large crowd of interested spectators were held spellbound during the final round when Ray Lovie's Composite team were level with the eventual Omarunui winners, 13 - 12 after 12 ends and 18 all after 20 ends. The composite team from Eastbourne/Northern crept ahead to be 21 - 18, after Lovie saved with a dead draw with his last bowl after being four down on the head. With one end to play, the score was 23 - 22  to Lovie and his team were holding one shot for the win, when Tony Mairs (Omarunui) played a perfectly weighted bowl to rest the shot bowl for the winning score.

Saturday results

 A customary Indian summer in Hawke’s Bay sees this event continuing within the allotted time, without an emergency contingency programme that would have considered evening play or shortening of games. 

At this stage, the Webber Shield competition is headed by teams skipped by Ces Bell (Omarunui) and Tony Small (Havelock North) - each with two wins and a draw.  In third place is Alan Brooks (composite) with two wins. Both Steve Love & George Ngametua have one win and Bill Buchan has yet to register a win. Bell plays Stephen Love and Alan Brooks tomorrow, while Small competes against the combinations of Ngametua and Love. The final result of the 2009 Webber Shield will probably 'go down to the wire', as has been a habitual feature during the past few years.

Mike Mabbett's composite team leads the Hawera Cup with three straight wins and has become the favourite to win this event.  Dudley Hunt, Geoff. McGarva and Barry Wakely are second equal on two wins, but with the unpredictable nature of the game of bowls - anything can happen!

The Consolation event appears to be a race between the two three winners, Jim Riddell and Bruce Ferrick, who will play each other in the final game. The two winners in this division Bill McGavock and Ken Greeks have more than an outside chance of heading the two leaders.

Friday results

The marathon four-day ‘Bay Financial Centre’ Webber Shield endurance competition continues at Bowls Heretaunga in Hastings, with many interested and smug spectators enjoying the comfort and warmth that only an indoor/outdoor complex can provide.

All section winners and the next highest team with the best number of points and differential (Bill Buchan), have won their way through to post-section to compete in the ‘Bay Financial Centre’ Webber Shield. This includes both teams from outside Hawke’s Bay – Ray Lovie’s composite team and Stephen Love’s Te Kawau side.  The other successful qualifiers are skipped by, Tony Small and Bill Buchan (both Havelock North), George Ngametua (Heretaunga) and Ces Bell (Omarunui).  The latter two sides achieved some huge wins on the way to post section play, with +50 and +46 points up on their unfortunate opponents. The Webber Shield section will enjoy the privilege of playing all their remaining rounds indoors, while the Hawera Cup and Consolation contestants will be playing indoors and outdoors alternatively.

  Mike Mabbett’s Heretaunga side that includes 2007 winner Tony Terry, was the only fancied team that did not qualify for the top Webber Shield section but this team will be sure to make an impact in the Hawera Cup section. This section, however, includes some very well performed teams, such as Ian Mason (Waipawa) and Barry Wakely (Bay View).

  The ten-team Consolation event sees last year’s Webber Shield winners, Bruce Ferrick’s team, playing against likely strong opposition in Jim Riddell, Ken Greeks, Dave Porteous and Bill McGavock.

  Round robin play continues until Sunday evening when the eventual winner is often not decided until the final few ends are played.

Thursday results -

Many thanks to the 'Helpers' - President Doug Walford, Glenys Riddell, Rohan Hook, Geraldine Kerley, Marj Francis, Ivan Lambert, Terry Franklin, Mike Mabbett, Jackee Andrews, Bev Palmer, Pam Plant, Pam Spencer, Margaret Wakefield, Ineke Van Leeuwen, Fiona Kidd, Bev Oemcke, Elaine Wiggins, Lois Stewart, Arnold Brawley, Colleen Ferrick, Barbara Ferrick, Jane Paterson, Nancy Weaver and Joyce Harding.

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Men’s fours – 2 games per day, 25 ends, no time limit (except for third game of section play, which shall finish at 1pm on Friday.

The teams will be divided into four sections of four who will play a round robin of three games, and one section of six teams. A separate draw has been done for this section.

The five section winners and the next best performed team will form the ‘Bay Financial Centre Webber Shield’ section.

The four remaining second place getters plus the two next best perfomed teams will form the ‘Lion Breweries Hawera Cup’ section.

The remaining ten teams will form a consolation section.

Section places will be decided by wins (three points), draws (one point), and then point differential count back if required -and then ends won.

Post section will be of five games commencing Friday afternoon through to Sunday evening.

The ‘Webber Shield’ section will play indoors, leaving five indoor rinks and outside for the ‘Hawera Cup’ and ‘consolation’ sections to be played.

Morning games will commence at 8.30am and finish by 1pm. Any ends unplayed will be completed after the conclusion of the afternoon games, which will commence at 1.30pm (or earlier by mutual agreement). The only exception is the third game of section play which will finish at 1pm irrespective of the number of ends completed.

Penalty for late arrival. If any player is not present at the time set down for the commencement of the game, or within ten minutes thereafter, the Umpire shall report the matter to the controlling body, who may disqualify the offending player and his team and award the game to the opposition.

Any substitues/replacements must be confirmed by the controlling body

Morning tea will be provided

The afternoon game will be played out in full with no tea break.

Inclement weather must be expected at this time of the year and the Tournament Committee reserves the right to alter the conditions of play, if necessary. This means that teams may be required to play indoors at night.

All games will be played under the laws of the sport of bowls.

Greens are available for practise up to 6.15pm on Wednesday night.

Hawera Cup and Consolation sections; any kills will be treated as a ‘tied end’ and the scores will be carried down, with the exception of the final end, which must be completed.

Controlling Body - Rohan Hook (Convenor), Glenys Riddell and Geraldine Kerley.

Prizemoney - Eleven prizes distributed among the twenty two teams

Webber Shield - 1st - $1,000,   2nd - $600,  3rd - $400  & 4th - $200

Hawera Cup    -  1st - $500,  2nd - $300  &  3rd - $200

Consolation      -   1st - $400, 2nd -  $200,  3rd - $140  &  4th - $140

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