The Northern Cape Pairs Championships delivered two days of high-class bowls and fierce competition as the 2025-’26 Northern Cape Bowls (NCB) season officially got under way.
Relentless rain lashed Kimberley throughout Friday 28 November and well into the night, raising fears the opening weekend would be washed out. However, by Saturday morning the skies had cleared sufficiently for qualifiers from the four sub-districts to take to the greens. As the first NCB title of the new season, the stakes were high from the outset for the 32 teams.
Sectional play concluded on Saturday at two host venues: the men competing at Sol Plaatje West End Bowls Club and the women at Beaconsfield Park. Spectators were treated to everything from nail-biting finishes to moments of brilliance. In several sections, qualification for the semi-finals was decided only with the final bowls of the last ends, highlighting how evenly matched the teams were.
Men’s semi-finals: Momentum and determination
Sunday morning saw the four section winners return for the knockout stages.
In the first men’s semi-final, LeRoux Fourie and Michael Siepker arrived with clear intent, stamping their authority early against CP Mathewson and Barry Minopetros by racing to a healthy lead. CP and Barry struggled to find their rhythm in the opening ends, and LeRoux and Michael capitalised clinically.
A late surge from CP and Barry injected tension into the final ends, narrowing the gap. However, the early deficit proved too steep, and LeRoux and Michael held firm to book their place in the final.
The second men’s semi-final brought together two undefeated duos: the experienced grandfather-grandson pairing of Wimpie Viljoen and Jonathan van der Schyff, and the in-form Stephan Enslin and Dewald van Wyk. The match remained tight throughout, with Wimpie and Jonathan maintaining a narrow advantage for most of the game.
With three ends to play, however, Stephan and Dewald shifted gears, playing with composure and precision to snatch the lead. They did not relinquish it, closing out the match to claim the second spot in the final.
Women’s semi-finals: High-level bowling and fine spirit
The women’s semi-finals mirrored the competitive tension of the men’s games, with both matches featuring multiple lead changes, excellent shot-making and unmistakable camaraderie on the green.
Charlene Fourie and Marianne Botha overcame a strong challenge from Liezl Kock and Alet van Heerden, whilst Niekie Kotze and Louise Oosthuizen held their nerve in a closely contested match against Manda Schoon and Babsie Burger, securing their path to the final.
Historic moment for Kalahari
With both the men’s and women’s finals featuring teams from the Kalahari Sub-district, the weekend marked a significant first in NCB history – a moment of pride for the Kalahari Sub-district and testament to its growing competitive depth.
Finals: A championship performance
Focused and determined, LeRoux and Michael stepped onto the green with one clear goal: to reclaim the title they last held three years ago. Their intent showed immediately. As in their semi-final, they surged to an early lead against Stephan and Dewald and maintained pressure throughout.
Stephan and Dewald delivered excellent bowls of their own, but LeRoux and Michael were simply exceptional on the day. Michael was unshakably consistent at lead, whilst LeRoux produced telling conversions and crucial saves when needed. Their chemistry, honed over years of playing together, was evident in every end.
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They powered through to secure their second NCB Pairs Championship title, with Stephan and Dewald earning well-deserved silver after an outstanding weekend. CP and Barry received bronze.
The women’s final saw Niekie and Louise complete their remarkable run, defeating Charlene and Marianne to claim the Northern Cape Pairs Championship title for the 2025-’26 season. Manda and Babsie received bronze.
Great bowling stars predicted
President Braam van der Westhuizen said NCB’s record books were rewritten at the weekend. As far as can be ascertained, this is the first time the Kalahari Sub-District – consisting of teams from Kathu, Kuruman, Lime Acres, Ammasol and Upington – has made a clean sweep in both the men’s and women’s pairs.
Van der Westhuizen said he was excited about the start of the new season and predicted great bowling stars would emerge from NCB.
NCB thanked the host clubs, Sol Plaatje West End and Beaconsfield Park, as well as every official, volunteer and supporter who contributed to making the tournament a success.
The NCB Fours Championships take place in January.
