Every end was fought to the last bowl, as Steve Haines skipped his rink to victory in a marathon final of the 2021 Woonona Fours.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Haines and partners John Ritchie (lead), Robbie Baker (second) and Warren Hamilton (third) beat the Neville Denham-skipped rink 18-10 in a four-hour dogfight.
Besides a short disruption due to a shower, there was no respite between two experienced sides with only Gary Ford, playing lead for Denham, in his first major club decider.
Haines picked up a single shot on the first three ends before Denham and partners Ford, Wayne Johnston (second) and Greg Dumbleton (third) won four consecutive ends to nudge ahead 5-3.
It was Denham's only lead of the match but they were always within striking distance and only trailed 13-10 after 17 ends.
Haines and partners proved a little too consistent and took the last four ends - three by just a single shot - to post a tough 18-10 victory.
A measure of the competitiveness between the finalists was that 13 of the 21 ends were decided by a single shot, while Haines picked up the only three-shot end in turning a 5-3 deficit into a 6-5 lead on eight ends.
The champions won 13 of the 21 ends but every end was tight and in dispute until the final shot.
In the Fours semi-finals played the previous afternoon, Neville Denham's rink stormed back from 13-7 down against Jared Hamilton and partners to win seven of the last nine ends in a 17-15 nail-biter.
In the other semi, Steve Haines had a more straight forward 23-8 win over Troy Johnson's rink.
Woonona's last club championship final for 2021 is its Major Pairs with Steve Cheney and partner Jim Tully to take on Paul Robertson and Jared Hamilton this Sunday afternoon.
It's already been a terrific tournament for Cheney and Tully who didn't play pennants or much social bowls this season.
It's back-to-back Pairs finals for Cheney who skipped his rink last year and this year leads for the experienced Tully.
The Pairs champions, along with Neville Denham who recently won the Woonona Major Singles, qualify for the 2021 Zone 16 Champion of Club Champion (COCC) Singles and Pairs finals next March.
The Zone COCC Singles and Pairs will be scrapped from 2022 and replaced by State Finals as part of a shake-up of Bowls NSW competitions.
Woonona also has its Grade 5 Men's team and Grade 2 Women's side qualify for the 2021 Open Gender, and 2021 Women's State Pennants Finals to be held next year.
Finally, Zone 16 clubs can publicise their 2021 Club Championships results by emailing the round by round results and photos to this column at mikedriscoll@hotmail.com.
Figtree finals are left on hold
There was more frustration in the seemingly never to be completed Major Pairs and Minor Pairs championships at Figtree Sports.
COVID, plus a lockdown and two washouts, including last Saturday, have conspired against both events, with the Major Pairs commencing last March.
Both deciders made it to the start line last Saturday but after eight ends of increasingly heavy rain were called off and rescheduled to December 11. In the Major Pairs final, Mark Kesby, chasing his third club title for 2021, and skip Gordon Young - who partnered Kesby to win the Club Fours - hold an 11-7 lead over John Chetcuti and Ciliegi.
Kesby has won Figtree's Major Singles and Fours this year, plus with Alan Jones claimed the Zone Senior Pairs.
Young is also having a great season and was rapt to have Kesby as his Pairs partner.
Chetcuti and Ciliegi fully deserve their shot at a first Figtree major title after winning four games to reach the decider.
Meanwhile, William Wing and Frank Sepulveda are locked at 8-8 with Branko Milinkovic and Dave Phillips in the Minor Pairs final.
It's the second time the final has rained out; with December 11 to now feature a Figtree finals triple-header of Minor Pairs, Major Pairs and Senior Pairs.
Regional playoff for state places
Illawarra's Open Pairs and Senior Pairs Women's champions can book a spot at the 2021 State Championships with victory in Thursday's Regional Playoffs at Oak Flats.
The champions of the Illawarra District and Southern Highlands meet in the playoff decider in Open and Senior Pairs for a place at the 2021 State Women's Championships in Tamworth from late March.
Oak Flats' Sharman Clark and Vicki Brown won the District Senior Pairs in June and have home green advantage and local support for their playoff clash.
Towradgi's Julie Woods and Kay Gill played brilliantly to win the 2021 District Open Pairs and will want to take the final step towards representing Illawarra at the State Championships.
Last week the Figtree Triples team of Lyn Hamill, Vikki Wilson and Rhonda Fisher stormed to victory away to Bowral to seal a state championship spot.
Dapto Citizens' Kim Suckley was beaten by a shot by Bowral's Gail Fraser in a thrilling Singles playoff.
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support
