The five-game, $7200 event was among the most lucrative club tournaments for eligible Grade 4-7 bowlers, with 32 teams including visitors from St Johns Park, Engadine and Blue Mountains-based Lawson.

Atrocious weather on Saturday afternoon meant when play was suspended early in Game 3, organisers elected to change the format for Games 3, 4 and 5 from 15-end matches to 10-end affairs.

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The Lawson rink of Ian Blue, Nick Darias, James Knight and Adam Favell were the only unbeaten side, finishing on 4.5 wins and a +46-shot margin.

Lawson beat Berkeley's Bill Bartley, Damien Harrison, Paul Bartley and Neil Bartley 7-5 in their final game to clinch the title with Berkeley heading into Game 5 as leaders and the only team with four wins.

The champions shared $2800, while runners-up Berkeley took home $1600 in what was a fitting end to a terrific tournament with the top two teams playing off for the title.

''It was very well run and all credit to the organisers, the sponsors and the teams for taking part,'' Darias said.

''Our team had a ball. We've had a few beers, had a punt, plus our meals here and really enjoyed our weekend away.

''There's plenty of tournaments in which teams like ours are there just to make up the numbers. But here everyone had a chance being only for lower graders, which is something you don't see too often.''

The Lawson rink were their Zone Grade 5 Pennant champions for 2021 and finished third at the recent State Pennant finals. But they were held to a 12-12 draw in their opening game at Wiseman Park before stringing three big wins together, ahead of a thrilling title-decider against Berkeley.

The other top placegetters were the Wiseman Park rink of Col Ward, Garry O'Brien, Bryan Henson and Greg Falconer who finished third on 4wins+25, with Corrimal's Phil Bartlett, Chris Jansen, Matt Kettle and Brendan Dignam fourth (4wins+17) and another Cougars rink of Aydan Murphy, Ash Christie, Tim Christie and Trent McMillan (4wins+16) fifth.

The five game winners were Lewis Welch and partners (Game 1,+19); Matt Keough (Game 2,+19); Steve Davies (Game 3,+12); Scott Davidson (Game 4,+12) and Barry Dileva (Game 5, +9).

Wiseman Park spent months organising the event, with H. Parsons Funeral Directors the major sponsor. Wisos' bowls coordinator Peter McMurtrie was rapt with the response.

''It went very well and we'll be back again next year,'' he said.

''There's not many events like this for lower-grade bowlers and, from the feedback we received, it's something bowlers want more of.''

Wayne Ford and his sons Cayne, Troy and skip Ben overcame shocking conditions and two extremely tough opponents to clinch the 2021 Zone Champion of Club Champion Fours.

Dapto Citizens' Team Ford rallied from three shots down on the final end to beat Woonona 21-20 in an extra end their semi-final, then backed up to beat Towradgi 19-14 in a final reduced to 18 ends due to persistent heavy rain and possible failing light.

It was the first Zone 16 championship for the Ford family, who had to wait 17 months for a shot at the last staging of the Zone Champion Fours, after winning Citos' Club Fours in January last year.

Special credit to the four semi-final teams, who with self-deprecating humour, played through spells of driving rain to ensure a championship already blighted by washouts was able to finish at Woonona last Saturday.

Both semis went to the brink with Citos rallying from 19-10 down and 20-17 down on the final end. Ben Ford played two perfect draw bowls with his final two bowls to convert holding one shot into three and a 20-20 tie.

Towradgi rallied from 18-11 down on 16 ends against an excellent Oak Flats side with a Towradgi four on the 17th and four on the 20th giving the Warriors a 21-19 lead.

Blake Gillard, Graham Davis, Adam Martin and skip Anthony Jones picked up a shot on the final end to seal Towradgi's place in the final.

Following a four-hour semi-final, Team Ford trailed 9-7 in the final, but took control with an 11-0 run.

Team Ford's triumph was also a slice of history as the last Zone Champion Fours winners, with the event dropped from the Zone calendar next season.

The Zone Champions Fours was first played in 1999 with Dapto Citizens champions for a fourth time and first since Trevor Suckley and partners won in 2018.

Warilla and Figtree Sports went within an ace of claiming a NSW State Pairs title after edge-of-the-seat losses in their Championship finals at Ettalong BC.

The Gorillas' Brendan Aquilina and Lee Stinson lost 23-22 in an extra end thriller to Merrylands teenager Jack McShane and Shawn Thompson in the Open Pairs decider.

Figtree's Alan Jones and Mark Kesby fought to the last bowl in a 20-18 loss to Sporties Tuncurry's Anthony Gorrie and George McCartney in the Senior Pairs decider, also on Tuesday.

Warilla father and son Ken and Noel Stopher also reached the President's Reserve Pairs semi-finals.

The Open Pairs final was a wild affair with Warilla dropping 12 shots in three ends, including a six to be down 17-7 but then answered with a seven and a two to only trail 17-16.

From 20-16 down Warilla rallied to lead 22-21 heading into the last end, only for Merrylands to tie the score and win it on the extra end.

Figtree trailed 19-11 with just five ends remaining but powered home to be a hope of winning it on the last end.

The 2021 State Championships continue with Open, Senior and Reserve Singles and their finals on Thursday, (MAY 26) followed by Fours from Friday.

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