Maughan & Thompson Crowned Mixed Pairs Champions
Searing temperatures greeted players on Day 2 of the Bowls Tasmania State Championships, with play halted under the ‘Extreme Heat policy’ at various stages throughout the day at all venues.
It was a North vs. South clash in the Mixed Pairs Final, which did not finish until well after most would have finished their Monday night dinner!
State Junior Representative Isaac Maughan, along with Christine Thompson, both from the Buckingham Bowls Club, progressed to the Final, after an impressive victory over the in-form Shane & Di Peck in the Semi-Final, who on Sunday had defeated the highliy fancied Michael Sims & Bec Van Asch by four shots.
Their impressive run continued in the Final where they faced-off against former Australian Representative Mark Strochnetter (Longford Bowls Club) and current State Women’s Bowler of the Year Kim Saunders (Invermay Bowls Club).
It’s a fabulous story for the two. Isaac is just 17-years-of-age, and it was his first-ever State Title. He set the tone early with conversions on the first two ends that saw him take a 4-0 lead.
Meanwhile, for Christine, this was the first State Title she had ever competed in, and when she turned up on Day 1, she thought she was competing in a Regional event!
The victory means both Isaac and Christine have qualified for the Australian Mixed Pairs Championships, which will be held in October.
Elsewhere, Ryan Ferguson and Dylan Samphier are through to the Junior Pairs Final, where they will take on Adam Taylor and Riley Davie, which will be played tomorrow at Beltana Bowls Club.
Today’s action sees the opening sectional matches in the Men’s & Women’s Triples, as well as the Junior Singles, with the knock-out matches and the Final to be staged in the Bowling Arm Pairs at the Howrah Bowls Club.
The four-day Championships conclude tomorrow, when Finals will be staged in the Men’s & Women’s Open Triples, Bowling Arm Singles, as well as the Junior Singles & Pairs.
