Representing the Auckland Centre, the two were in dynamic form in the final as they stole a march on Dunedin Centre qualifiers Sarah Scott and Bronwyn Stevens to win their first New Zealand title.
"I had a dream that we would only have one loss [in section play], but go on to win the tournament," Bloomfield said of the win being a dream come true.
"It is a long way to come down here from Auckland and a lot of money and this just makes it all worth the effort."
As for the loss in section play, Bloomfield (44), a debt collector, then made good on an early defaulted payment to cash in on the national title.
"We put that down to having a senior moment. But we then made good."
Bloomfield was full of praise for her young 22 year-old lead.
"She is dynamite. You just don’t know how lucky you are until you have her in your team," she said while keeping her emotions in check.
She added that she was sure to be on the shortlist for Tonga at the Commonwealth Games to emulate the feat of her Dunedin based aunt, Malia Tavite, who represented Tonga at the 2018 Games on the Gold Coast."
The scene for the Auckland pair’s 17-9 victory was set right from the first delivery from Baker, who drew shot with a toucher and sat her bowl on top of the jack to set up an early 3-0 lead after the first end.
With Baker consistently blocking traffic around the head and Bloomfield sending down heart-breaker after heart-breaker with her deliveries, it was not until the fifth end that the Dunedin pair put numbers on the board.
Bloomfield made no secret that once they qualified for the final that it was game on and that they were there to win.
"The polar bears and against the brown bears, all good," she said of her Niue heritage and Baker’s Tongan.
"We have all the confidence in the world and we are going to take it back with us to Auckland."
Bagging five-pointers on the second and third ends set Auckland representatives Leif Selby and James Williams up for a commanding 20-9 victory in the final of the men’s pairs.
Selby (49), a past Australian international with an impressive resume of Commonwealth and World Bowls titles, pulled the pin on bowls 10 years ago in order to take a break from the sport that he thought was consuming his life.
Moving to Waiheke Island three years ago to be with partner and Blackjack squad member Lisa Prideaux, Selby returned to the sport over the summer and displayed in yesterday’s final against the Nelson pair of Albert Anderson and Sam Woods that he had not lost any of the skill that had him a force to reckon in world singles competition.
Victory for Williams (36) caps off a successful year with his first national title. He won the singles, pairs and triples titles as a member of the Carlton Cornwall Club.
"I’ve had a pretty good run and this title caps it off," he said.
"Though I’ll have to con him [Selby] into playing with me again."
- Wayne Parsons
