WINDANG Bowling Club’s first championship for 2016 could hardly have been more exciting with Carlos Hernandez skipping his team to the fours crown in a one-shot thriller.
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Hernandez and partners Dave Stojcevski (lead) Jim Wolter (second) and Peter Thomson (third) held their nerve to beat Geoff Walker’s team 19-18 in a final end decider.
Hernandez led 19-16 heading into the last end, with Walker’s last bowl striking the jack and trailing for two shots and just one shot shy of forcing a tie and an extra end.
It was a great final end to the start of the championship season with Walker playing with Steve Sprod (lead), Chris Bradley (second) and Zac Gabrielson (third).
Both teams had a bye in round one, with Hernandez beating Pete Grogan, Bob Head, Pete Tolias and Garry Burke in round two.
In the quarter-finals, Hernandez beat Wolfe Thiele, Paul Fitzpatrick, John Tyrrell and Dave Tyrrell 15-14.
Hernandez led 15-11 but was down five shots on the final end before only giving up three shots after a measure was required.
In the semi-finals, Hernandez and partners defeated Dale Jones, Glen Bryant, Mick Murphy and John Penno, after Penno’s team knocked out the 2015 champions John Pendergast, Rob Jordan, Paul Hart and Gregg Stevens.
Team Walker defeated Doug Allen, Graham Taylor, Brett Price and Bob Driscoll in round two, then beat Frank Evans, Les Tyrrell, Peter Jarvis and new signing from Grandviews Jim Davies in the quarter-finals, before a well-earned win over Ron Hopper, Col Wood, Ray Evans and Mick Frawley in the semi-finals.
Windang have lost nine players in their top two grades pennants teams in 2016 but as the club fours championship showed they have plenty of talented bowlers.