The former Hervey Bay resident is listed as a reserve for Windang in pennants this season and showed she has plenty to offer after five wins in three days to clinch the first title of the Illawarra Women's season.

Morell had a hard-fought 25-18 victory over Oak Flats' Annette Nicholls in the final in hot conditions at Figtree Sports last Thursday.

''I've been playing for four years and come from Harvey Bay but the only time I played was when we went up near Townsville for three months every year," Morell said.

''We moved down here at the end of 2019 but with COVID I've only been able to play at Windang since June.

''I have never before played in anything as big as this and I'm overwhelmed with how it has turned out.''

The first District event of 2021 featured 24 bowlers from 10 clubs with Warilla, Corrimal, Albion Park and Towradgi hosting the first three rounds before Figtree Sports took charge of the semi-finals and final.

Finalist Annette Nicholls was a runner-up in last year's Oak Flats Major Pairs and stormed back from 24-18 down in her semi-final against Woonona's June Ingleton to win 25-24.

Nicholls said the support from her Oak Flats clubmates greenside was decisive.

"One of our District ladies from our club came out and I thought I better pull my socks up," said Nicholls.

"It was a very close game; could have gone either way.''

Nicholls is now looking forward to the upcoming Illawarra pennants season with Oak Flats and will feature in one of their Grade 3 sides.

Meanwhile, champion Adele Morell had to come out firing in the Minor Singles after surviving a tense 25-23 win over Figtree's Joanne Palmer in round one.

Morell then beat Carol Nairn (Figtree) 25-12 and Judith Mitrevski (Windang) 25-18 before overcoming Thirroul's Julie Neal 25-13 in the semi-finals.

While the District Singles is not a State event it features bowlers with their sights on winning their maiden District title.

This year's quarter-finals included bowlers from five clubs with three representatives from Thirroul and two from Woonona.

Julie Neal beat her Thirroul clubmate Anne Nicholls 25-19 at Albion Park BC to set up a last four clash with Morell in the top half of the draw.

Annette Nicholls beat Kiama's Julie Harvey 25-16, and in the other battle at Towradgi for a semi-final berth, June Ingleton (Woonona) overcame Thirroul's Coby Steel 25-16.

Ingleton defeated last year's runner-up Carolyn Woods (Thirroul) 25-23 in round two in one of the best matches of the whole event.

It is a busy start to the 2021 Illawarra District season with the Open and Seniors Fours being played over three days at several venues this week. Both finals are at Wiseman Park on Thursday. (JAN 21)