The team of Taieri club players Beth Brown, Jean Young, Judy Robertson and Sue Hodges (Outram) outclassed the defending champions from the Paritutu Club of Taranaki 27-12 in the semifinal at the Westpac Indoor Bowls Stadium.
The Paritutu four of Cathy Andrews, Debbie Smith, Val Keightly and Heather Johns had no answers to the accurate draw bowls of the Taieri Plains team.
Play yesterday was switched to the stadium because all the outdoor rinks were flooded.
This morning's finals were expected to be held at the Taieri headquarters green but if there was heavy rain overnight, they could be at the indoor stadium.
The Taieri team got off to a flying start by scoring a three, five and three on the first three ends to lead 11-0. After six ends they led 16-1, and after nine ends 20-2. The lead had increased to 24-4 after 12 of the 18 ends.
''I had a dream ride,'' Hodges admitted.
''I had three bowlers in front of me who were very good on the draw and they kept popping them on.''
The Taieri team had the advantage because they play regularly at the stadium during winter and are used to the unforgiving surface, where good shots are rewarded and bad bowls punished.
''The Paritutu team said they should have come and practised at the stadium yesterday,'' Brown said.
It will be youth against experience in today's final, because the Taieri team will face the youthful Composite team of Selina Goddard, Gemma Watts, Amy McIlroy and Mandy Boyd, who won a tight semifinal against the Composite team of Shona Mann, Rachael McDowall, Michelle Fallow and Anne Bateman 16-14.
Boyd is in the Black Jacks and the other three have played in junior Trans Tasman events. The Boyd team are classy bowlers and played some superb shots but were never able to put the stamp of authority on the game.
Bateman played impressively. Her rescue shots reduced the count or took the shot off the youngsters. She had an air of authority and outplayed Mandy Boyd.
Goddard, inspired by the play of her boyfriend, Sean Ingham, who finished runner-up in the men's singles, was impressive on the draw and dominated the lead bowls. Watts and McIlroy played some superb shots.
The scores were level at 13-13 after 15 ends and the Boyd combination was forced to bring out their best bowls to score three shots in the last three ends to win the game.
Andrew Kelly will skip his Composite team in his fourth national fours final today. He was runner-up in 2006, won the title in 2012 and was runner-up last year.
His team of Michael Nagy, Tony Grantham, Mike Kernaghan and Kelly won a hard-fought semifinal against the Waikiwi team of Sam Cooper, Roger Stevens, Glen Milne and Craig Merrilees 20-12.
Kernaghan is skipping the team because of his ability to draw shots under pressure and add to the count with his controlled weighted shots.
Black Jack Tony Grantham impressed with his accurate draw bowls and Kelly at third played accurate drives and aggressive shots.
On the 12th end, he drove the jack into the ditch, and sat beside it with his own bowl when Merrilees had two shots on the head. That turnaround was crucial and stretched the lead to five shots, 14-9.
In a marathon semifinal that lasted four hours and ended at 10.50pm, Mitchell Will, Keri Rupene, Brendon Hollander, Doug Thomas (Composite) beat Oliver Mason, Elliott Mason, Ken Walker, Sheldon Bagrie-Howley (Composite) 17-13 and will meet Kelly's team in the final.
The final: NZ Bowls Fours
Venue: Taieri Bowling Club.
Start time: 9am.
Teams:
Women: Beth Brown, Jean Young, Judy Robertson and Sue Hodges (Taieri Composite) v Selina Goddard, Gemma Watts, Amy McIlroy and Mandy Boyd (Composite).
Men: Michael Nagy, Tony Grantham, Mike Kernaghan, Andrew Kelly (Composite) v Mitchell Will, Keri Rupene, Brendon Hollander, Doug Thomas (Composite).
