A HOWLONG team has won the Albury and District Bowling Association fours championship.
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The final was played on Sunday at Howlong with Sam Doolan, Trevor Smith, Ian “Ribs” Doolan and skip Wally Bourne getting home by one shot against their Lavington Panthers opponents.
The Lavington team was Les Waldron, Clarrie Klepiak, George Chomatek and skip Fred Markham.
Waldron and Klepiak were in good form, but the outcome was determined largely by Bourne’s superb and consistent bowling.
Several times the Lavington team was holding shots and Bourne managed to take the end with adept draw bowling.
Shots were at a premium and the score was 4-4 after seven ends.
But the Howlong combination managed to get a break, scoring five shots over the next three ends.
It led 9-4 after 10 ends, 11-7 after 14 ends and 12-8 after 16 ends.
The Lavington team scored four shots on the next end to draw level.
It was 13-13 after 19 ends before the home team scored a crucial three shots on the next end.
Lavington was holding one shot on the last end and Markham moved the jack to make three with his first bowl.
The possibility of playing an extra end loomed, but Bourne drew about 40cm away from the jack with his second bowl to cut the margin to two. With his last bowl, Markham tried to draw another shot but finished a bit short.
That enabled Howlong to have a 16-15 victory in a top standard game.
Bourne will be trying to make it a championship double by winning the triples at Walla on February 2.
Jeff Brundell and Phil Slater have teamed with him to reach the semi- finals.
The other semi-finalists are skipped by Lee Churches (Walla), Noel Trainor (North Albury) and George Chomatek (Lavington).
- THE inaugural Lavington Panthers Australia Day triples tournament starting on Sunday morning looks like attracting a full field of 24 teams.