Local bowls player takes on SA’s best
A local bowls player pitted her skills against the best in the country during the Perfect Delivery Bowls South Africa Open A Interdistrict Championships from March 9 to 13 in Durban.
Marlet Ireland, a member of the Bungalows Bowling Club participated in the tournament, hosted by Port Natal Bowls, as part of the Mpumalanga team.
This is Ireland’s fourth year as part of the team and she says she has learnt a lot from the experience. She regularly participates in tournaments as part of the Bungalows team. She won the Mpumalanga Development Singles tournament in 2010 and then received her Lowveld and Mpumalanga colours.
Ireland says she and her fellow teammates, Miranda Paiva (White River), Jeanette Richards (Nelspruit), Martie Janse van Vuuren (Barberton), Marie Saayman (Barberton), Annette van Reynevelt (Secunda), Annetjie Roos (Groblersdal) and Marina Smith (Nelspruit) have a good relationship and they are a very strong team.
The Bungalows player had a great time at the tournament and says the players are friendly but very competitive. Despite the tough competition, the team managed to carve out some time to visit the beach, do some shopping and sample the local cuisine.
They competed against nine other interdistricts from across the country, with nine games played over five days. Two points were rewarded to the winning team with one additional point to the side with the highest shot aggregate. Ireland says they were lucky to have great weather, except one very windy day.
The Mpumalanga team came seventh, with a total of 17 points. The Johannesburg, Sables and Eastern Province districts took the top-three spots.
Ireland says they will compete in the tournament again next year, but this time in Gauteng. The team will be determined during two days of trials at the end of the year.
