Today saw the finals played of the Men and Women’s Triples Champions. Early in the day this turned out to be chances for teams to play and win their post-section games and end by winning the most important game of the day, the final.
Audrey Sciascia’s team played their semifinal match against Hazel Rose and her players, and this resulted in a win for Audrey.
On another rink, Margaret Griffin and her players won their match against Dianne Short and her team.
The finalists had been found and their match got started.
A sample of the two leads’ skills in one of the women’s games.
Their first two bowls, ( a Black and Brown) arrived, one each by the Jack, and then their second arrived, cover bowls, one in front and one behind.
The final got started and the scores were close early on and by the 11th end, Audrey was in the lead 12 – 6, but by the time the last end was reached, Margaret had gained the lead at 14-13 with just the last end to be played.
Bowls were played by the leads and twos, the players changed ends, Audrey’s team were holding 2, and it was now the Skip’s turn.
Margaret played her first bowl and took out one of her opponent’s shots. Now a draw.
Audrey’s decision had to be made and this was the moment…
Her bowl approached the head and drew quietly a perfect bowl to give her a 2nd shot. Margaret now delivered her last bowl but it just missed the target and the game was over, a Win to Audrey and her team
2014 Women’s Triples Champions.
Bronwyn McMahon, Audrey Sciascia (s), Margaret MacKay.
The morning also saw the men who had qualified for post-section start. In the first round Murray Griffin won his game against Neville Turnbull and Larry Auckram won his game against
Pat Wikstrom.
The winners of these two games now faced each other and Murray won this match against Larry, placing him in the final.
The two teams who had had the bye, now faced each other, Rob Cotter v’s Keith Galloway. Rob won this match and he now was in the final to play Murray and his team.
And here we had another match with a great ending.
Rob and his team got going and after 11 ends was in the lead, 15-6
But now there was a change in the scoreboard and Murray and his team, winning some ends,reached the last end only 2 points behind, 14-18.
So came the final end.
Murray needed at least 2 points to have the chance to play an extra end but things didn’t work out this way. Grahame, a Junior player who had been leading very well for Murray, drew his first bowl right on the Jack and when the skips got into action, Murray also drew a shot. It looked as though an extra end might be needed in this game as well, but not so. Rob looked at the end and decided that his bowl was needed to disturb the head, and on its way it went. His bowl arrived at the head but instead of disturbing things in a way that would have helped his team, a bowl moved across the head, came to rest, and it was the winner of the game… the bowl was one of Murray’s players and they now had three shots and the win.
The day had certainly been one of interest to all who played or spent time watching the games.
2014 Men’s Triples Champions.
Brian Cooper, Murray Griffin (s), Grahame Law
Congratulations to all who had made the final and who showed those who were watching, how strong, unpredictable and entertaining the game of bowls can be.