The Aotearoa Māori team enjoyed an outstanding first day in the second World Bowls Oceania Challenge competition in Auckland.
They will be represented in all four semifinals in singles and fours after an outstanding opening day of the tournament that showcases Southern Hemisphere bowls with teams from Cook Islands, Niue, Norfolk Island, Samoa, Tokelau and Tonga, the Australia Performance Pathway team and two from New Zealand – an Aotearoa Māori team, and a New Zealand Under-26 team.
In the men’s singles, Taranaki’s Kaylin Huwyler, playing for Aotearoa Māori, is in with a chance to defend the men’s singles title, going through to the semifinals with four wins, and will take on Jack Lewis (Australian Performance Pathway) in one playoff.
New Zealand men’s singles champion Aiden Takarua will clash with New South Wales-based Chris Smith, who is again representing his native Tonga in the other semifinal.
There is a chance of a double for Tonga in singles, with Auckland-based Milika Nathan (Tonga) to meet former pairs national champion Lisa Prideaux (Aotearoa Māori) in the women’s singles semifinal, after both finished on top of the ladder with three wins in qualifying.
The other semifinal will feature New Zealand Under-26 team player Briar Atkinson from Taranaki against Samoa’s Faye Bell-Clark.
In the men’s fours qualifying, the Aotearoa Māori combination were impressive in securing four wins, with the rest bunched on two wins each.
They will take on the Cook Islands in one semifinal, while the youthful Australian Pathway Performance team will clash with Tonga in the other semifinal, with the New Zealand Under-26 team missing out on countback.
The Aotearoa Māori quartet, led by two defending winners from last year in Gaylene Kanawa and Lisa White, are through in the women’s fours, topping the standings with four wins.
They will meet the Carmen Anderson-led Norfolk Island in one semifinal while the Australian Performance Pathway team take on Tonga in the other semifinal.
Friday’s action starts with qualifying for pairs and triples with the men at New Lynn Bowling Club and the women at headquarters at Royal Oak, in Auckland. The first titles will be decided late in the day with the singles for men and women to be staged at Royal Oak.
Qualifying for pairs and triples continues Saturday morning ahead of the Fours finals at Royal Oak from late afternoon.
The tournament concludes on Sunday with finals for the Pairs and Triples.
Day 1 Qualifying Results
Men, Fours:
Section 1: Round 1: Aotearoa Maori 2 Tokelau 0 (11-1, 10-5); Samoa 2 Niue 1 in tiebreak (10-5, 2-12, 6-1); Round 2: Samoa 2 Tonga 0 (8-2 8-4); Aotearoa Maori 2 Niue 1 in tie break (7-5 2-7 5-4). Round 3: Tonga 2 Niue 0 (13-4, 13-10); Tokelau 1.5 Samoa 0.5 (9-8, 5-5). Round 4: Aoteroa Maori 2 Samoa 0 (9-3, 8-6); Tonga 2 Tokelau 0 (9-4, 7-5). Round 5: Aotearoa Maori 1 Tonga 0 (8-2, 5-5); Tokelau 2 Niue 0 (10-5, 7-4)
Section 2, round 1: Cook Islands 2 Norfolk Island 0 (21-1, 6-3); New Zealand U26 2 Australia Pathway 1 in tiebreak (3-11, 6-3, 3-2); Round 2: Australia 2 Norfolk Island 1 in tiebreak 6-4, 2-6, 5-1); Cook Islands 2 New Zealand 0 (7-4, 8-3) Round 3: Australia 2 Cook Islands 0 (14-1, 6-4); New Zealand 2 Norfolk Island 0 (12-4, 11-3).
Men, Singles:
Section 1, Round 1: Niue 2 Samoa 0 (8-7, 5-3); Aotearoa Maori 2 Tokelau 0 (9-4, 7-6); Round 2: Tonga 2 Samoa 0 (8-2, 9-2); Aotearoa Maori 2 Niue 0 (6-5, 16-0). Round 3: Tonga 2 Niue 0 (7-2 7-2); Samoa 2 Tokelau 1 in tiebreak (3-7, 7-6, 5-0). Round 4: Aotearoa Maori 2 Samoa 0 (11-2, 7-4). Round 5: Aotearoa Maori 2 Tonga 1 (2-8, 7-3, 2-1 in tiebreak; Tokelau 2 Niue 2 (5-4, 9-8)
Section 2, round 1: New Zealand U26 2 Australia Pathway 0 (6-5, 6-5); Norfolk Island 2 Cook Islands 1 (2-13, 8-6, 2-1 tiebreak); Round 2: Australia 2 Norfolk Island 0 (9-5 11-2); New Zealand U26 2 Cook Islands 1 (10-1, 7-8, 3-1 tiebreak). Round 3: Australia 2 Cook Islands 0 (10-3, 8-3); New Zealand U26 2 Norfolk Island 0 (12-3, 7-6)
Women, Singles
Section 1, round 1: Australia Pathway 2 Samoa 0 (7-4, 4-3); Tokelau 2 Aotearoa Maori 0 (10-2, 6-4). Round 2: Australia 2 Cook Islands 0 (9-5 6-3); Tokelau 1 Samoa 0 (10-3, 7-7). Round 3: Aotearoa Maori 2 Australia 1 in tiebreak (9-2 3-5 4-1); Samoa 2 Cook Islands 0 (6-3 8-2). Round 4: Tokelau 2 Australia Pathway 1 (7-4, 6-7, 6-0 in tiebreak); Aotearoa Maori 2 Cook Islands 1 (2-9, 10-5, 6-0 in tiebreak). Round 5: Cook Islands 2 Tokelau 1 (9-4, 3-9, 4-2 in tiebreak); Aotearoa Maori 2 Samoa 0 (9-4, 6-5).
Section 2, Round 1: Tonga 2 New Zealand U26 1 in tiebreak (3-8 6-3 3-1); Norfolk Island 2 Niue 0 (10-1, 14-1); Round 2: New Zealand 2 Norfolk Island 1 in tiebreak (15-2, 3-4; 4-2); Tonga 2 Niue 0 (8-3 14-4). Round 3: Tonga 2 Norfolk Island 1 (8-4, 5-6, 3-1 in tiebreak); New Zealand U25 2 Niue 0 (9-3, 16-1)
Women’s Fours:
Section 1, Round 1: Aotearoa Maori 2 Tokelau 0 13-8, 14-6); Australia Pathway 2 Samoa 0 (8-5, 7-4); Round 2: Samoa 2 Tokelau 0 (9-3, 9-4); Australia Pathway 2 Cook Islands 0 (7-3, 10-4). Round 3: Samoa 2 Cook Islands 1 (8-10, 6-5, 2-1 in tiebreak); Aotearoa Maori 2 Australia Pathway 0 (12-4, 9-2). Round 4: Aotearoa Maori 2 Cook Islands 0 (6-5, 9-1); Australia Pathway 2 Tokelau 0 (13-8, 7-1). Round 5: Cook Islands 1 Tokelau 0 (16-4, 6-6) Aotearoa Maori 2 Samoa 0 (6-5, 7-5)
Caption: New Zealand U26 singles player, Briar Atkinson in action on the way to securing a spot in the semifinals on the opening day of the 2024 Oceania Bowls Challenge in Auckland. (Credit: BowlsNZ)
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