Scott Bateup became the first Wiseman Park bowler in three decades to claim the Zone 16 Singles crown after outlasting Pete Bonsor 31-27 in a tense final at a windswept Albion Park BC.
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Gusty conditions last Sunday threatened to postpone the decider but both players were determined to finish the prestigious championship on schedule.
Bateup led 27-17 but had to withstand an inspired fightback from Spanish international Bonsor, who was chasing his second Zone 16 title in 2018, after winning the Fours for Towradgi BC last month.
Bateup is a former Zone 7 Singles champion and said the victory ranked alongside his South Pacific Carnival titles and winning the Australian Open Triples.
“It’s up there with the best things I’ve done,’’ he said.
“The Zone Singles is the blue-ribbon event; the one everyone wants to win.’’
Bateup ended three years of Warilla dominance in the Illawarra Singles and became the first Wiseman Park player on the Open Singles Honour Roll since Bob Bartlett won in 1988.
Bateup reached the final following a 31-23 win over Kiama’s Adam Rogers in round 2; a 31-25 win over Peter Thelan (Warilla); plus a 31-20 quarter-final victory over two-time Zone 16 Singles champion Brett Pieper (Albion Park) and 31-24 victory over Warilla’s Shane Leonard in the semi-finals.
Bonsor had wins over Wiseman Park’s Jason Cheadle 31-21, Warilla’s Jesse Noronha 31-27; Wiseman Park’s Luke Cocksedge 31-11; plus a 31-29 quarter-final win over Dapto Citizens’ Matt Miles and 31-22 victory over Trevor Suckley (Dapto Citz) in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Glen Beveridge celebrated a triumph for one of Zone 16’s smallest clubs Collies-ORB with his victory in the President’s Reserve Singles for grade 5-7 bowlers.
Beveridge beat Windang’s Phil Cable 31-17 in a final played in windy conditions at Windang BC.
Beveridge won six matches with the event featuring 90 bowlers from 15 clubs.
Beveridge beat a spirited Aldo Martino (Warilla) 31-25 in the semi-finals, plus had wins over Robert Driscoll (Windang) 31-22; Andrew Stewart (Kiama) 31-16; Wayne Moore (Warilla) 31-13; and a 31-22 win over Matthew Constable (Wiseman Park).
Phil Cable’s brother Paul won the Zone 16 President’s Reserve Singles in 2015 and 2017, and Phil began his run to the final with a 31-9 win over clubmate Brian Driscoll; then beat Oak Flats’ Kevin Draper 31-10, Shane O’Neill (Warilla) 31-29; plus Mario Marsh (Oak Flats) 31-12 and then Anthony Robinson (Wiseman Park) 31-29 in their semi-final.
Bateup and Beveridge will represent Zone 16 at the prestigious NSW State Championships in October. Tom Ellem is the last Zone 16 bowler to win the NSW Open Singles in 2001, when playing for Oak Flats.
Alan Horsfall (Illawarra Leagues) in 1976 and Phil Bushby (Austinmer) in 1971 are the only other Illawarra bowlers to win the prized State Singles.
Zone 16 clubs are now preparing for the Illawarra Pennant season which begins on Saturday week, April 28.