Zululand claim second place in KZN Open Fours

Zululand's bowlers kept the flag flying high above the Ladysmith Country Club over the weekend, when both the men and women’s KZN Open Fours play-offs were contested. In the men’s section, Miskiet Ferreira, Byron Mathias, Japie van Staden and Mike Logan of the Empangeni Bowling Club were in top form throughout the two days of fierce competition, losing only one game, and only by a single shot, to D Steele of Northerns. Steele, in turn, was also only beaten once, but had to be satisfied with the runners-up spot on a score of 8+13, bowing the knee to Ferreira who finished on 8+22. Although the women failed to bring the title home, Yvonne Steenkamp, Rita Meyer, Chyrel Coetzee and Joey Evans, also of the Empangeni Bowling Club, were only beaten once and that by the eventual champion, J Atkinson of Midlands. In the last game of the tournament, Atkinson scored a narrow one shot victory, which was sufficient to give her the title, on a score of 8+45, thus relegating Steenkamp to second place on 8+14. Overall an extremely satisfying performance by our local bowlers.

St Lucia
On Saturday, the St Lucia Bowling Club hosted their annual fund-raising tournament, with a full house entry of 56 bowlers from as far afield as Pongola and Empangeni. As usual, the hospitality was nothing short of outstanding. After a day of closely fought bowls, the winners of the tournament were the St Lucia combination of Bertie and Marie Stubbe, Alfredo Stefanini and Dave Lawson, a result which obviously went down extremely well with the locals. Filling second spot were Ann Aldworth, Brian Edwards, Eric Grierson and Louis Nel of the Empangeni Country Club.

League
The fourth round of the Haig’s Mowers Zululand League will be contested this Saturday 17 July, with the men at eShowe and the women at Mtunzini.
Fixtures are as follows:

Men
• Country Club A vs Richards Bay A;
• Country Club B vs eShowe A;
• Mtunzini A vs Empangeni Bowling Club;
• Mtunzini B vs Richards Bay B;
• Mandini vs eShowe B.
The third round fixture between Mandini and Richards Bay A is still to be played.

Women
• Empangeni Bowling Club vs Mtunzini A;
• Country Club vs Mtunzini B;
• Richards Bay A vs eShowe;
• Richards Bay B vs Darnall.