Bowls: Music, puppetry expert calls the tune

Winning skip Joko Susilo plays a bowl during the final of the Kaikorai Festival Fours at...
Winning skip Joko Susilo plays a bowl during the final of the Kaikorai Festival Fours at Balmacewen yesterday.
One of Susilo's team-mates, Gordy Davis. Photos by Gregor Richardson.
One of Susilo's team-mates, Gordy Davis. Photos by Gregor Richardson.

Joko Susilo dedicated his win in the Kaikorai Festival Fours to the memory of his late father-in-law, Doug Knox, who introduced him to bowls 20 years ago.

The composite team of Aidan Lusby, Gordy Davis, Alan Augustson and Susilo won the two-day event with 223 points from Mike Cranston, Danny O'Leary, Peter Wilson and Graeme Allan (Composite) 200, Trish Marr, Rose Henderson, Mamanu Mamanu, Russell Dawe, (Composite) 195 and Bruce Kelly (Oamaru) 188.

The format was changed this year to a points format played over eight 12-end games.

Susilo's team won its eight games, making it the only unbeaten team in the 32 strong field.

Its most difficult game was against Keith Ellwood (Kaikorai), that was won 12-11 when Susilo drew a toucher with his last bowl.

Allan and Dawe both dropped one game. Allan was beaten 10-9 by Tony Cockerill (Gore).

Susilo (51), a lecturer in Indonesian orchestras and puppetry at the University of Otago music department, immigrated to New Zealand in 1992 when he married Dunedin girl Katherine Knox.

''Doug Knox was a passionate bowler with the St Kilda club and used to come and watch me play in my early days in the sport.''

Susilo was a member of Doug Knox's four when he first played in the Festival Fours in 1996, when it was organised by the Kaituna club.

He won his only Bowls Dunedin title in the open singles six years ago. He says the demands of his job means he is not able to play as much bowls as he would like.

''I enjoy playing bowls,'' Susilo said.

''The game helps me to relax and is also challenging.

''It is a game of strategy and you need to do a lot of thinking to win games. Consistency is the most important element.

''Our team gelled together and I just had to play the shots that were needed.''

Lusby and Augustson were members of the Andersons Bay four that reached the quarter-finals of the event three years ago.

They are members of the Bowls Dunedin Development squad. Lusby represented the New Zealand Professional Bowls Association in the United Kingdom three years ago.

Davis (70), a retired builder, has been a regular at the Festival Fours and was a member of the Caledonian Club four that won the plate event at Kaituna 25 years ago.

These three set up the heads with accurate draw bowls and Susilo was able to make the king hits when they were needed.

Allan, O'Leary and Cranston were in the winning team in 2005 but had to settle for second place 10 years later. Their only loss was to Tony Cockerill (Gore) 10-9.

In the fourth-placed Oamaru team Bruce Kelly was joined by wife Kerry, son Pat and John Smith.

The Festival Fours was first held in 1955 and the Kaikorai club took control of the event in 2005, after the Kaituna Club went into recess.

 

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