JENKINS AND McMULLEN TO FACE OFF IN SINGLES FINALE

by Rob McGuire on March 17, 2022

Bowls Tasmania’s Gala Week of lawn bowls will finish tomorrow at Rosny Park with grand finals in the prestigious men’s and women’s open and singles state championships being the highlight of the day.

Close games and outstanding bowls were the order of the day at Rosny Park today when the knock-out singles championships whittled the field down to just the grand finalists.

In the men’s singles championship, Howrah’s Peter Jenkins surprised more fancied opponents when he defeated Longford’s Josh Walker-Davis 25-22  and Claremont’s Nick Chilcott 25-12 to reach the grand final.  His opponent will be the experienced Kings Meadow’s Rob McMullen who accounted for Dover RSL’s Brad Carver 25-22 and Penguin’s Jacob Brown 25-22.  In the B Grade championship, Howrah’s Matthew defeated Sandy Bay’s Bill Mottershead 25-19 and Brighton’s David Williams beat title favourite Brad Johns from Franklin 25-22 to earn the right to fight for the premiership.

The women’s open singles final will see Brighton’s Lyn Triffitt matched up against Ulverstone’s Alison Venn.   Triffitt defeated Wynyard’s Dee Harman 25-15 and Howrah’s Denise Tanner 25-11 to reach the grand final.  Venn beat Invermay’s Jess McMullen 25-6 and had to hold off a great comeback from Rosny Park’s Jenny Suttie to win 25-22.   In the B Grade championship, Invermay’s Zoe Whelan defeated Penguin’s Kelly Gilchrist 25-16 and East Launceston’s Heather Thompson beat Claremont’s Halina Travers 25-11 and they will meet in the grand final.

Grand finals in the pair’s championships will get the day started.   In the men’s open championship, Penguin’s Jarryd Brown and Brighton’s Grant Wakefield will play Kings Meadow’s Josh Appleyard and Longford’s Josh Walker-Davis.     The women’s open pairs championship will be fought out between Invermay’s Deb Lee and Kim Saunders and New Norfolk’s Lauren Banks and Glenorchy Rodman’s Jorja Maughan.

Other state championships being decided tomorrow include the men’s B Grade pairs, men’s and women’s B Grade singles, disability singles and pairs and bowling arm triples and fours.

The men’s B Grade pairs championship has two rounds to go.   Semi-finals in the morning will see Glenorchy Rodman’s Jordan Croft and Shane Withers play New Norfolk’s Chris Smith and Tom Fowler whilst Taroona’s Duncan Carey and Franklin’s Brad Johns are up against Claremont’s Kevin Mann and Taroona’s Michael Behrend.   The winners will play off for the state title in the afternoon.   East Launceston’s Heather Thompson and Janet McCarthy won the Women’s B Grade Pairs championship grand final on Tuesday when they convincingly defeated Penguin’s Pam Lade and Claremont’s Halina Travers 23-4.

Disability bowlers had a day off today but will be back in action tomorrow.   Ulverstone’s Alan Ryman and Swansea’s James Amos will face off in the men’s physical disability singles grand final, Cosgrove Park’s Wayne Wright and Kings Meadows Daniel Smith will play each other in the men’s intellectual disability singles grand final and Huonville’s Marijke Raine and Cosgrove Park’s Shaz Hyland meet in the women’s disability singles grand final.   In the disability pairs championship, sectional winners were Port Sorell’s Damien Parker and Turners Beach’s Jamie Costello and Cressy’s Debbie Maher and Ulverstone’s Alan Ryman who will meet in the grand final.

Bowling arm triples and fours championships will be decided tomorrow.   The fours championship is being decided by a round robin with the final round to be played with little separating the top three teams.   Sectional play in the bowling arm triples today resulted in wins to Wynyard’s Heather Jones, George Town’s Doreen White and Michael Shingles and North Hobart’s Ebro Jesenkovic, Kingborough’s Geoff Price and Penguin’s Peter Thow who will meet in the grand final tomorrow.

Finals commence at 9.30am with the men’s and women’s open singles championships starting at 12.30pm.   Food and drink will be available all day at Rosny Park.

For all the results click HERE.