There’s only one round to go in the 2023 Men’s Caro Bowl Competition and only two points separate the top five teams on the points table. The top two teams will contest the final on 1 December but who they will be is anyone’s guess. Karaka made a statement on Friday night by beating Parnell 6-0 to move into third spot. Parnell felt the absence of Rubin Statham and paid the price by falling from first to fifth on the points table. It was the only loss for Parnell this season but could prove very costly. Karaka may pick up another 8 points next week against Remuera and this would most likely secure a finals berth.
Next Gen moved to the top of the table by beating Blockhouse Bay 5-1 with Rob Reynolds and Finn Tearney leading the way in the top two singles. They play second placed Cockle Bay next Friday and the winner may earn a place in the final depending on the other results. Cockle Bay dented its chances last Friday losing 4-2 to Royal Oak and could have done with the services of James Meredith at Number 1 to put them in a stronger position to make the final. Royal Oak is still very much in the frame and have worked consistently all season. They play Parnell next Friday and with a spot in the final on the line it will come down to player availability on the night to determine that result. Parnell with Rubin Statham is a very different proposition to Parnell without him.
At the bottom of the table, Remuera sealed East Tamaki’s relegation fate beating them 6-0 in a contest that did not finish until just before 1am Saturday morning after matches transferred indoors due to the ongoing big wet in Auckland.
There were two rounds of play over the weekend in the 2023 Caro Bowl Women’s Competition and the race for the two finals spots is a lot clearer. Next Gen and Parnell sit at the top of the table and look likely to contest the final in a repeat of last year. The only team that can stop them is Cockle Bay who surprisingly lost to bottom placed Campbell Park. Cockle Bay must score a big win against Next Gen next Friday to prevent a Next Gen v Parnell final.
Campbell Park was bolstered by the appearance of Aisha Das and her presence enabled them to register a first victory this season. The win lifted Campbell Park off the bottom of the table and they are now three points clear of Pakuranga who went down 4-2 to Kohimarama. Pakuranga will need to defeat Royal Oak very easily and hope Campbell Park lose to Kohimarama if they are to have any chance of avoiding relegation.
The final round of Men’s and Women’s contests will be played this Friday 24 November and the Men’s and Women’s Finals are scheduled for Friday 1 December at venues to be confirmed.
Full draws and venues are available in the Caro Bowl section at www.tennisauckland.co.nz. We encourage all tennis fans to come along, support their clubs, watch some great tennis, and enjoy host club hospitality.
