Three champions crowned in finals fever

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS What a sensational day of bowls at Bowlie as Finals Fever was well and truly alive, with three championship titles up for grabs, some incredible comebacks, nail-biting finishes and even a father-versus-son showdown! The greens were buzzing as players battled it out for the honour of being crowned 2026 Club Champions. WOMEN'S MAJOR SINGLES Lyndy stages a brilliant comeback The women's Major Singles final between Lyndy Bokeyar and Cherie Vincent was an absolute thriller, with Lyndy producing a fantastic comeback to claim the championship title 27–21. Cherie came out firing, taking control early and racing to a commanding 13–4 lead after nine ends. Digging deep, Lyndy found another gear, winning the next three ends and adding eight valuable shots to her scoreboard. The momentum was shifting, and by the 14th end the two ladies were locked together at 16-all! Neither player was willing to give an inch, with the scoreboard again deadlocked at 21-all after 20 ends. With the championship hanging in the balance, Lyndy saved her best for last, claiming the final three ends to seal a brilliant 27–21 victory! Congratulations to Lyndy Bokeyar, our 2026 Women's Major Singles Champion! MINOR SINGLES Pat powers home to victory The Minor Singles final saw Brett Davenport and Pat O'Neill go head-to-head in another exciting championship battle. Brett wasted no time getting points on the board, starting strongly and setting the early pace. However, Pat wasn't about to let him get away! By the eighth end, Pat had wrestled the lead away and was beginning to make his mark. Leading 10–6 after 11 ends, Pat kept the pressure on, steadily building his advantage. By the 20th end, the scoreboard read 24–10 in Pat's favour, leaving Brett with a mountain to climb. But Brett wasn't waving the white flag just yet! Showing plenty of determination, he dug deep and claimed four of the final five ends in a spirited late comeback. Unfortunately for Brett, Pat's earlier lead proved too much to overcome. Pat held his nerve to claim a well-deserved 25–15 victory, earning himself the title of 2026 Minor Singles Champion! Congratulations Pat on a fantastic championship win, and well done to Brett for fighting right to the finish! MAJOR TRIPLES FINAL Father vs son in championship showdown There was more than just a championship title on the line in the Major Triples final, with a little family rivalry thrown into the mix! Brian 'Spro' Asimus, Shane 'Bozza' Bolam and Scott 'Scooter' Andrews took on Clint Hurford, Robert 'Pooch' Dukes and Mitch Andrews in a cracking contest that saw father Scooter and son Mitch battling on opposite sides of the green. With family bragging rights and a championship trophy up for grabs, neither side was going to make it easy. Scooter's team came out with all guns blazing, stamping their authority on the game early and taking a 10–5 lead after 10 ends. But Mitch and his teammates weren't going down without a fight! They dug in, clawing their way back into the contest, and by the 16th end had levelled the scoreboard at 14-all. Game on! The pressure was building as both teams fought for every shot. From the 18th end, Scooter's side managed to keep their noses in front, refusing to surrender their hard-earned advantage. Despite a determined effort from Mitch, Clint and Pooch, the experience and teamwork of Spro, Bozza and Scooter proved too strong, with the trio holding on to claim a thrilling 25–20 victory and the championship title! As for the father-son rivalry? Well, Scooter has officially earned the family bragging rights - at least until the next showdown! SOCIAL BOWLS Wednesday – A close result had Eddie Gould and Phil Bayley as winners last Wednesday morning with a 13-11 result in 18 ends over Neil Riley and Lyall Strudwick, all due to a blistering finish. Neil and Lyall looked comfortable leading 9-3 after nine but as the result shows the wheels fell off only winning two more ends with singles while ‘fast’ Eddie and Phil stormed home winning the seven of the last nine ends including 5-0 in the last three. The runners-up also had a close game where Darryl Burley and John Gorton finished best winning 19-16 in 20 over Lesley Dunstan and Peter Barnes who came from 2-11 down after seven to then lead 14-12 at the end of 15. Darryl and John were up a gear to win the last five ends 7-2 for victory. Despite, as Ann tells it, having heat problems Ann Mackay and John Kennedy won 20-13 in 20 over the two Scott’s, Bill and Dale. Ann and John skipped out to lead 12-1 after six before giving six away on the next two ends for 12-7 but steadied keeping their noses in front on the run home. Garry Riley and Laurie Crouch won 22-15 in 18 over Angela Dent and Kerry Dunstan despite being down 0-6 after four. Once they got the run of the green it all changed in the last six ends winning them 15-0 for a late run victory. In the last of the pairs Sue Smith continued to impress leading for Noel Jolliffe winning 18-10 due to yet another late revival playing Peter Mackay and Phil Hocking. It was close up to the 13 end before the winners had the better of the run home, 7-0 in the last five ends. A of triples finished the morning where Richard Green showed how he and our greens master Phil Hocking downed the highly rated pairing of Laurie Crouch and Jeff Nicholson days earlier. His form was perhaps the difference as he, Barry Shine and Paul Doust won a close encounter 11-9 in 14 ends over Cheryl Hodges, Billy Cowell and Alf Davies. The winners led 7-2 after six and did well to hold as the Davies trio played best in the run home. In-club winners, Ann Mackay and Don Craft. Thursday - Paul Doust and Laurie Crouch proved that it's never over until the last bowl is played! Taking on Tara Shaw and Posso Jones, Paul and Laurie found themselves with plenty of work to do as Tara and Posso dominated the early stages, racing to an 11–4 lead by the 12th end. But Paul and Laurie weren't ready to throw in the towel. Slowly but surely, they chipped away at the deficit, clawing their way back into contention. Their determination paid off, with the two teams finishing locked together at 14-all. A fantastic comeback and a draw that certainly kept everyone guessing. Maynard and Phil Hocking certainly gave Bobby Grant and Glen Kearney a run for their money, sneaking home with a thrilling 19–15 victory. Maynard and Phil looked comfortable early, cruising to a 10–3 lead after nine ends. But Bobby and Glen had other plans, launching a spirited comeback to steal the lead 11–10 on the 13th end. The battle continued, and with Maynard and Phil picking up a valuable four shots on the 18th, the scoreboard was back to 15-all! With the finish line in sight, Maynard and Phil found that little bit extra, claiming the final four shots of the match to snatch victory. Tim Everest and Cherie Vincent had to work hard for their 20–16 win over Richard Green and Viv Russell. This one was a real arm wrestle, with neither side willing to give an inch. The scores were locked at 7-all after eight ends, and by the 16th end, nothing could separate the teams again at 15-all. With the pressure mounting and bragging rights on the line, Tim and Cherie managed to step it up when it mattered most, sealing the deal with a four-shot victory. A lucky win? Maybe! But they'll certainly take it! And making a welcome return to the greens was Moose Burton, dusting off the cobwebs and teaming up with his father, Wayne Burton, for an afternoon of family bowls. Also dusting off the cobwebs after 20 years plus, Danny Duggan and Greg Gunn in another cracking contest. Danny and Greg were looking the goods early, holding a handy 10–5 lead after 10 ends. But the Burton boys weren't about to let them have it all their own way. Finding their rhythm, Moose and Wayne fought their way back, levelling the scoreboard at 12-all after 17 ends. With just three ends remaining, it was anyone's game. Unfortunately for the Burton duo, Danny and Greg held their nerve, sneaking home with a 15–13 victory. Not quite the winning comeback Moose and Wayne were hoping for, but a great effort nonetheless. Resting touchers: Tara Shaw, Laurie Crouch and Maynard. Raspberry: Phil Hocking and Greg Gunn. Winning rink: Cherie Vincent and Tim Everest. Losing rink: Paul Doust, Laurie Crouch, Tara Shaw and Posso Jones. Jackpot: Moose Burton. Sunday - T & M Tyres Tournament finishes with a thrilling one-point margin What a fantastic finish to our annual T & M Tyres three-week Sunday morning bowls tournament! After three weeks of great bowls, it all came down to the final round to decide who would take home the honours. With individual scores accumulated over the three weeks, every shot counted, and with just one point separating first and second place, it certainly proved to be a tournament worth fighting for! The final round saw some great battles across the greens, with a few teams finishing in style while others were left wondering where it all went wrong. Darryl Burley and Tim Everest had a tough day at the office, coming up against a red-hot John Cutler and Lyall Strudwick. John and Lyall wasted no time getting down to business, powering their way to a convincing 24–8 victory. Darryl and Tim might have been wishing for a few extra ends to turn things around. It was a family affair for father-and-son duo Grub and Gary Reilly, who teamed up to take on John Simmonds and John Kennedy. In a game that could have gone either way, the Reilly boys managed to scrape home by the narrowest of margins, claiming a thrilling 14–13 win. Nothing like a bit of father-and-son teamwork to get the job done! Shayne Staines and Al Hilder were in fine form, proving too strong for Eddie Gould and Sue White. Shayne and Al kept the pressure on throughout the game, cruising to a comfortable 17–7 victory. A handy result for Al, with every point proving valuable in the overall tournament standings. Tara Shaw and Viv Russell were another combination firing on all cylinders, taking on Juss Scifleet and tournament sponsor Tony Osborne himself. Unfortunately for Tony and Juss, there were no favours being handed out to the sponsor on the greens. Tara and Viv put together a terrific performance to claim a 19–10 victory, earning themselves the title of winning rink of the day. Sorry Tony, sponsorship doesn't come with guaranteed winning shots! Chris Simmonds and Al Phillips put up a great fight against Bobby Grant and Maynard in another closely contested battle. With just three shots separating the teams at the finish, Bobby and Maynard managed to sneak home 13–10, leaving Chris and Al wondering what might have been. The losing rink of the day honours went to John Kennedy and John Simmonds, while John Cutler had something extra to smile about, taking home the jackpot. And the overall winners are ... After three weeks of bowls, the scorecards were tallied, the points added up and the final leaderboard revealed. With just a single point separating the top two positions, it couldn't have been much closer! 2026 T & M Tyres Tournament Results 1st – Tara Shaw 2nd – Al Hilder 3rd – Lyall Strudwick 4th – John Cutler A fantastic effort over the three weeks, proving that every single shot really does count. Thank you to our sponsors A very special thank you to Tony and Helen Osborne of T & M Tyres for their continued generosity and support of our bowling club. Tony and Helen have been wonderful long-term sponsors of this annual tournament, and their ongoing commitment to our club is greatly appreciated. It's thanks to generous local businesses like T & M Tyres that we can continue to run these fantastic events, bringing our bowlers together for great competition, friendship and plenty of fun. We sincerely thank Tony and Helen for once again getting behind our club and making this year's tournament possible.