Bowls North Harbour successfully staged its Metlifecare Masters last month, illustrating the value of the sport as a game for all ages and a beneficial exercise for any competitive sports-person even in their senior years.
A great example of this was a stalwart of the Takapuna club and one of its life members, Murray Mathieson.
The 82-year-old made the finals of the three disciplines for which he was eligible and won the lot: the men’s 75-plus pairs with another Takapuna life member, Chris Taylor, the mixed 75-plus pairs with Geraldine Wight and the men’s 75-plus fours with Taylor, Walter Howden and Leighton Bristol.
That meant being on the green for five consecutive days. But not content with that, Mathieson played the following weekend in his club’s mixed pairs, making the final, and then by competing in Takapuna and Birkenhead midweek tournaments, was in bowling action for nine of 10 consecutive days.
And the standard of competition at the Masters was high. The beaten finalists in the men’s 75-plus pairs were two Birkenhead personalities, Roy Parker and Sandy Cleghorn and the beaten semi-finalists were former national champions, Petar Sain and Wally Marcic, from Auckland, and Harbour legends, John Walker and Colin Rogan.
That one of Mathieson’s age should show so much stamina won’t surprise those who know the man well, as he has an outstanding sporting background.
Before taking up bowls in 1978 he had played hockey at the highest level, representing Wellington, and New Zealand at the 1960 Rome Olympics. He was an A grade squash player and has the rare distinction of having won national club titles in two different sports.
He played for Wellington’s Mitchell Park when it won the national squad club title for the Cousins Shield and then in 2007 was in the Takapuna team which won the national club bowls title.
There has been one other national success: the Open triples at Henderson in 2012 and club and centre titles galore. His one disappointment perhaps is that has been stuck for many years on four centre titles, one short of a gold star.
Several other Harbour bowlers won Masters titles. Takapuna’s Wendy Jensen and Robyne Walker won the 60-74 women’s pairs, while Mairangi Bay members enjoyed considerable success.
Jan Gledhill and Colleen Rice won the 75-plus women’s pairs, Judi Farkash and Rosemary Bicol and Takapuna’s Adele Ineson were in a composite four which won the 60-74 women’s title and Phil Chisholm and Bruce McClintock were in a composite four with Riverhead’s Lindsay Gilmore and Helensville’s Bart Robertson which won the men’s 60-74 fours.
And an especially sweet win was that of Browns Bay’s Lin East and Lloyd Sinton, who improved on 2023’s runners-up position by winning the 60-74 mixed pairs final. Lloyd is a disabled bowler, but with his accuracy with his bowling arm is a match for even the best able-bodied players.
There were several teams competing from neighbouring centres, with Northland’s Ann Muir matching Mathieson in making three finals, but winning only one, the 75-plus women’s fours. Fellow Northlanders Garry Fraser and Paul Price won the men’s 60-74 pairs.
Meanwhile, another of the country’s bowling golden oldies, Peter Belliss, will be the guest of honour when on 19 November the Takapuna club holds the “Celebrity Pairs” tournament. Organised by past chairman and now match committee member, Graham Dorreen, the tournament will also feature prominent Harbour bowlers like Colin Rogan, Elaine McClintock, Bart Robertson, Anne Dorreen and Lisa Dickson.
