(Article by Chris Le Lievre)

The Auckland selectors have been left with more questions than answers following Sunday’s Auckland, Wellington, Marlborough and Canterbury representative quadrangular held at Wellington’s Naenae club.

The men’s side finished fourth in the four team comp while the women placed third after being second after the penultimate round.

With four wins from six starts and only behind on differential, the Auckland women lost their way in the final round, with the singles, pair and four succumbing to a clean sweep.

The quadrangular was the final hitout for Auckland before the all-important National Intercentre Region 1 and 2 qualifying event which recommences on the 27th of February.

Barclay Lee’s debut for Auckland as men’s pairs skip was not a happy one as he ran into the brick wall that is Wellington’s former Black Jack Ben King. King and Roger Glendinning cantered home 30-2.

Despite clean sweeping the first two rounds, Wellington lost all three games in the final round. Their campaign was saved by Grant Goodwin’s Auckland four who derailed Maurice Symes’ Canterbury quartet 18-10. If the Cantabrians had managed to claim either a draw or victory they would have taken home the spoils.

The Wellingtonians were sweating having to rely on an unlikely Auckland four victory after their previous two results were a 31-19 loss to Marlborough and a 21-10 loss to Wellington.

The Canterbury women came from behind in the final round to take the spoils for the day. Sitting in third spot with only a round to play they posted three solid victories in the final round to come out on top.

The positives that can be taken from the trip came from the Auckland women’s side.  Carlton Cornwall’s Karen de Jongh and Onehunga’s Rima Strickland finished up with two wins from three, their only loss coming at the hands of Wellington’s Helen King and Black Jack squad member Clare McCaul.

Singles player, Jill Fraser from Pakuranga, also won against 2009 New Zealand Open Pairs skip Jan Shirley, and narrowly missed against Wellington’s Leigh Griffen 19-21.

The Women’s fours also produced some outstanding bowls.

The disabled team, usually placed last in their competition, also produced some good results to lift themselves into second position this year.

RESULT

Auckland, Wellington, Marlborough, Canterbury Rep Quadrangular

Men:
Points Totals
1st- Wellington (12 points; 6 wins, 3 losses, +61 diff)
2nd- Canterbury (12 points; 6 wins, 3 losses, -5 diff)
3rd- Marlborough (8 points; 4 wins, 5 losses, +19 diff)
4th- Auckland (4 points; 2 wins, 7 losses, -75 diff)

Women:
Points Totals
1st- Canterbury (12 points; 6 wins, 3 losses, +29 diff)
2nd- Wellington (11 points; 5 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses, +43 diff)
3rd- Auckland (8 points; 4 wins, 5 losses, -32 diff)
4th- Marlborough (5 points; 2 wins, 1 draw, 6 losses, -40 diff)

Disabled:
1st Canterbury
2nd Auckland
3rd Wellington A
4th Wellington B