For the first time, all players gathered at one venue, Howick Bowling Club, for the much-anticipated Battle of the Bridge. Over 100 players, plus coaches, and officials united for a head-to-head showdown between Auckland and North Harbour. The event featured intense competition; tight contests, and standout performances across all squads.
After Round 1, Auckland held a narrow three-match advantage, which they maintained through Round 2—highlighting just how evenly matched the Auckland and North Harbour teams were. The final round, featuring pairs matches across all grades, offered 24 games that kept everyone interested!
Key Highlights
Premier
The Premier Men’s team, featuring a new lineup, faced challenges early on C Green during Round 1. The Singles featured close matches alongside washout results, while losses in both Fours matches put the team under pressure. However, the Men showed resilience, bouncing back with strong performances in the Pairs.
The Women engaged in tightly contested matches, with two draws (one Fours and one Singles). Despite controlling earlier matchups, they narrowly lost a crucial Pairs game, 8-9. Due to a late unavailability, Linda Fenton (Howick) was called up to the Premier squad, and she made her mark with a stunning come-from-behind 21-19 victory over the newly crowned World COC Singles champion, Milka Nathan.
Linda commented, “My game plan was to break down the match. I set little goals that I could focus on and achieve along the way. So I’m pretty pleased with how it worked out.”
Development
The Men had fresh talent from last year’s 1-5 squad and welcomed back the experienced Phil Taylor, who offered valuable guidance to the team. Winning 6.5 out of 8 Singles and splitting the Fours, the duo of Lee Warburton and Adam Baillie stood out with a spectacular Pairs victory.
The Women built on their September quad experience, delivering a stellar performance. They secured one Fours win, five Singles wins, and three Pairs wins, displaying their growing confidence and teamwork.
1-5 Year
Continuing their impressive form from September, the 1-5s delivered gritty performances. Both teams started strong, claiming five Singles and one Fours victory each.
The Singles matches were particularly dramatic: Liam Cleal narrowly lost an enthralling battle 20-21, while Brett Christie’s determined comeback was halted by a perfectly drawn final shot on the edge of the green. Nicole Singer showed immense composure, overcoming an early deficit to secure a thrilling 21-20 win against Harbour’s Jeni Hart.
In the Pairs, the Men’s team edged out their counterparts with three wins, while the Women won two matches, narrowly losing a third match on a measure in the final end.
Summary
Auckland maintained a steady three-match advantage throughout the day, overcoming fierce competition from Harbour to retain the title. The exceptional performances of the 1-5 Men and Development Women squads laid a strong foundation for Auckland’s future campaigns.
While the event highlighted areas for improvement, it also demonstrated Auckland’s potential as they prepare for the upcoming Octagonal fixtures. This hard-fought victory builds momentum for the squads, which remains determined to improve and achieve even greater success.
