MALE AND SIMPSON CROWNED STATE FOURS CHAMPIONS
Great bowls and tight finishes were the order of the day on a fast and true green at Rosny Park today when Bowls Tasmania’s State Fours Championships were finalised.
Tasmania Trident’s team mates, Burnie’s Taelyn Male and Mark Nitz teamed up with Kingborough’s Will Coad and Ryan Guy to take out a hard-fought five-shot win in the Men’s Open Fours Championship over a composite Glenorchy Rodman- New Norfolk combination of Mitch Banks, Jack Ellis, Grant Allford and Ben Stearnes. Scores were level after eleven ends, but Male steamed away winning five of the last seven ends to win by five shots.
Last year’s joint Women’s Bowler of the Year, Kings Meadows Rae Simpson teamed up with Sandy Bay sisters, Peri and Yvonne Buckley, and Invermay’s Jean Claridge to win the Women’s Open Fours Championship over a gallant Claremont combination of Maree Morgan, Meekie Salter, Pam Ritchie and Wendy Gray. Morgan looked like securing an upset win over the red-hot favourite Simpson before Simpson stormed home picking up eight shots on the final two ends to win by four shots.
Royal Hobart’s Owen O’Driscoll, Paul McCann, Neville Riseley and Barry Cranwell secured a last-gasp win over a composite Taroona-Claremont-St. John’s Park team consisting of Michael Behrend, Michael Hughes, Kevin Mann and Rick De Paoli to win the Men’s B Grade Championship. Behrend had the state title in his grasp but a fantastic trail of the jack on the last end by O’Driscoll resulted in two shots and a one-shot win to the Royal Hobart team.
In a high-standard and entertaining Women’s B Grade Fours Championship, Franklin’s Judy Reeve, Dellis Voss, Kristy Harrison and Emma Burgess had a one-shot win over a composite Penguin-Claremont-Tasman RSL team consisting of Kelly Gilchrist, Pam Lade, Helena Travers and Annette Griggs.
The championships continue tomorrow with sectional play in the Men’s and Women’s Open and B Grade Pairs Championships at Rosny Park, Beltana and Kingborough.
For all the results click HERE.
