Kimberley welcomed four qualifiers from across the district this past weekend as teams competed for top honours in the Northern Cape Bowls (NCB) Fours Championships.
Players faced extreme conditions as the ongoing heatwave across the country pushed local temperatures into the high 30s, with readings reaching 40°C at times.
Sectional play took place on Saturday 31 January, with the men’s fours competing at Beaconsfield Park whilst the women’s teams battled it out at Sol Plaatje Bowling Club.
Despite the challenging heat, the standard of bowls remained exceptionally high throughout the day.
Action resumed early on Sunday morning at Sol Plaatje with the semi-finals.
Men’s final tense and competitive
In the men’s competition, CP Mathewson and his team continued their dominant run, cruising comfortably through their semi-final encounter. In the other semi-final, Upington’s Le Roux Fourie and his side also progressed with relative ease, setting up a repeat of last year’s final.
The final proved tense and competitive throughout. Team Mathewson maintained a narrow advantage for most of the contest and shifted gears in the closing ends to secure victory, turning the tables after last year’s defeat to the same opponents.
CP, David Paulse, Scotty Elliot and Kieran Kelly of Beaconsfield Park were crowned the 2026 NCB Fours champions.
Le Roux, with Wessel Fourie, Werner Mathee and Michael Siepker from Upington, can nevertheless be proud of another excellent campaign, reaching the final for the second consecutive year.
Third place was secured by Marco Geel, Driaan van Niekerk, Gerrit Gagiano and JP Marais from Beaconsfield Park, whilst Adriaan du Plessis, Greg Bowles, Neville Ridgard and Ananias Mohale of Kimberley Town finished fourth.
Gripping encounters in women’s finals
The women’s semi-finals also delivered gripping encounters. Annelie Mathewson’s team staged an impressive comeback after trailing early to secure their place in the final. Susan le Roux’s side likewise progressed after a closely contested semi-final.
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The final lived up to expectations, with scores remaining tight throughout. Annelie’s team entered as defending champions and recent quadrangular fours winners, but Susan, with team-mates Sue-Monique Le Roux, Lorraine Kriel and Louise Oosthuizen of Ammosal, were undeterred, producing excellent bowls under pressure. They eventually edged the contest in a thrilling finish, claiming victory 16–13.
Annelie, René van Niekerk, Helena Janse and Cherese Labuschagne from Beaconsfield Park had to settle for second place but can take pride in another strong season of performances.
Third place went to Marietjie van den Berg, Liezel Kock, Corné van der Walt and Elmarie Bredenkamp from Van der Kloof, whilst Adi Koekemoer, Charmaine Roelofse, Lizette de Reuck and Carla Ellis from Beaconsfield Park finished fourth.
Appreciation expressed
NCB president Braam van der Westhuizen thanked everyone who contributed to making the weekend a success, including both host clubs and the NCB executive. He expressed appreciation to the large number of spectators who attended, noting their support created an exciting atmosphere around the greens.
The bowls community also extended its best wishes to CP, who will represent the region at the Bowls South Africa Open Masters next weekend at Wingate Park, with the entire Northern Cape bowls fraternity firmly behind him.
