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IOL News
29-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
PNB bowlers shine on national and district greens
Cheryl Waterman Twenty districts, 434 registered clubs and four coveted national titles – this year's BSA Men's National Championships delivered drama, determination and a showcase of remarkable talent. And, for the Port Natal Bowls district, the tournament was nothing short of triumphant, as local clubs brought home two silver medals and a bronze, reinforcing their growing status as a force to be reckoned with on the national stage. Returning home, appropriately proud, is the formidable Westville Bowling Club foursome: Paul White, Dougie Bashford, Arnold Muscat and Roger Boulle. Their tournament journey culminated in a hard-fought silver medal. Adding to the district's glory, Hillcrest's Wayne Roberts, John Peacock, Gavin Abel and George Parker – after facing Westville in the semi-finals – bounced back to clinch the bronze medal by defeating a strong Bryanston team. But the accolades didn't end there. Westville's Arnold Muscat, fresh from the gruelling fours final, competed in the Veteran Singles final, where he secured his second silver medal of the tournament. His dual-medal performance underscored not only his individual excellence, but also the depth of talent nurtured within the PNB district. Back home, the action was no less riveting. Westville CC hosted the PNB Ladies Open and Veteran Singles Championships, where two new champions emerged after a weekend of intense competition. In the Ladies Open Singles, Umhlali Country Club's Odette van Zyl, a newcomer to PNB but no stranger to competitive bowling, reached the final after defeating Stella Park's Kim Christensen. A dual member from Richard's Bay BC, van Zyl has quickly made an impression in her new district. In the other semi-final, Amanzimtoti's Hilary Lindsay led most of the way before Stella Park's Glenda Matthews staged a dramatic comeback to win 21-20. Matthews carried her momentum into the final, finding her stride by the fifth end and drawing level with van Zyl in the ninth. From there, the seven-time champion showed her class, gradually pulling ahead to win 21-17. After missing the 2024 championship due to family commitments, Matthews expressed joy at reclaiming the title, and praised Lindsay and Van Zyl for the tough challenges they posed. The Ladies Veteran Singles also delivered thrilling moments. In the semi-finals, Westville's Gail Jennings narrowly edged out Amanzimtoti's Lesley Levy 21-19, while Hillcrest's Claire Murray triumphed over Hillary's Linda Didlick 21-18. In the final, Jennings raced to a 19-7 lead before Murray staged a spirited comeback, narrowing the gap to 19-14. But Jennings held firm, scoring the final two shots to ecstatic cheers from her home crowd. Jennings commented on how she happy she was with her first gold after silver in 2022 and bronze in 2024. Meanwhile, the future of the sport shone bright at Amanzimtoti, where the Junior Masters Championship saw Westville BC's Jarred Bauristhene secure his third title. He overcame 2024 champion Awongiwe Somtseu in the final after they prevailed in semi-finals against Travis Finestone and Tye Smit. From seasoned veterans to rising stars, the Port Natal district continues to set the bar high – on both national and district turf.
IOL News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Port Natal Bowls bowlers fly the flag in Gqeberha
Marc Rogers Hillary's Marc Rogers in his quest for an Open Singles medal. Photo: SUPPLIED Image: SUPPLIED Cheryl Waterman The Bowls South Africa Men's Nationals are well underway in Gqeberha, and after intense sectional play and opening knockout rounds in the pairs, open singles and veteran singles, the Port Natal Bowls contingent are delivering impressive results and proving their mettle against the best bowlers in the country. Of the 17 PNB pairs entries, two teams are still in contention for national honours. Wayne Roberts and John Peacock from Hillcrest Bowling Club have stormed through to the last 16. Their PNB counterparts, Ruuan Victor and Keegan Bauristhene (entered as Amanzimtoti BC), face a must-win clash against Mike Underwood and Logan Subramony of Comrades BC (Border Bowls). Should Victor and Bauristhene prevail, they'll be set up for a PNB showdown against Roberts and Peacock on Friday in a battle to progress to the quarter-final. In the open singles, 14 PNB bowlers endured a gruelling day of sectional matches and early playoff rounds this past Monday. Westville Bowling Club will be particularly proud of their bowlers, with Paul White – the 2023 national singles champion and 2024 runner-up – alongside Matthew Mayo and Dion Audie, all advancing. Marc Rogers from Hillary BC also remains in contention, rounding off a strong showing from the district. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Roger Boulle and Arnold Muscat Westville's Roger Boulle and Arnold Muscat (with PNB President Steve Kelf) are still in the hunt for Veteran Singles silverware. Photo: SUPPLIED Image: SUPPLIED In the veteran singles, PNB entered 13 hopefuls, with Westville BC bowlers once again shining. Roger Boulle, Lionel van Niekerk, Arnold Muscat and Lance Mansfield will join Hennie Heyns from Mount Edgecombe CC as they push forward in pursuit of national titles. Their continued success is a testament to the depth of experience and quality within the district's veteran ranks. The Bowls South Africa Nationals are not only a showcase of talent, but also a test of endurance, focus and resilience. PNB can be justifiably proud of its bowlers' performances and the strong representation still in the hunt for silverware. Paul White Westville BC's Paul White looking for a third consecutive National Singles medal. Photo: SUPPLIED Image: SUPPLIED Back on local greens, there's no shortage of action this weekend. Westville Country Club will host the PNB Open and Veteran Ladies Singles playoffs on Saturday, with the semis and finals set for Sunday. Twenty-five women will vie for the Open Singles title, with play starting at 8.30am on Saturday, followed by the last 16 at 11am, and the final rounds on Sunday. The remaining 15 Veteran ladies will play for a place in the quarter-final on Saturday morning, and the four semi-finalists will return on Sunday morning.
