MYRTLEFORD bowler Jack Lillis is getting better with age as his performances in recent Ovens and Murray championships show.
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Lillis, 83, was runner-up to Yackandandah’s Ron Boulton in the champion of champion singles at Rutherglen on Saturday.
It was an outstanding effort by both of them to reach the final because they eliminated some of the association’s elite players along the way.
Boulton had a 25-21 win, which was based on good draw bowling and some telling conversation shots.
He was leading 24-21, although Lillis was holding three shots which would have enabled him to get back on level terms.
But with his last bowl Boulton managed to sit on the closest bowl of Lillis and take the game on the 28th end.
“That was the best game I have played in the series,” Lillis said yesterday.
He was drawn against Wodonga champion Bob Harbridge in the opening round.
“Before the first game, I thought if I got 10 shots I would be happy,” Lillis said.
He did far better than that, winning comfortably, and then defeated Ken Widdison (Corowa Civic), Matt Muller (Wangaratta) and Garry Sanders (Yarrawonga Border).
Boulton defeated Damian Langdon (Rutherglen) and Wayne Green (Chiltern) on his way to the final.
He will represent the Ovens and Murray region at the state play-offs in April.
Lillis won his first club singles at Myrtleford last year and repeated the effort this year, along with claiming successive pairs titles with Greg Robbins.
They reached the semi- finals of the state pairs, but lost to eventual winners Ron Arendt and Peter Armstrong (Moira).
Corowa RSL’s Ted and Jack Hovard won their semi-final against Yarrawonga’s Kevin Evans and Ian Wood.
Ian Brimblecombe and Goff Wilson (Wangaratta) won the other semi-final against Ian Lewis and Alex Martin (Corowa Civic).
The Hovards were leading by five shots after nine ends in the final, but their opponents pegged them back and finally won 20-17.
Wilson and Brimblecombe advance to the state play-offs.