The 2019 Zone One Lawn Bowls Championships continued last weekend with the pairs being contested at Ocean Shores. The Clarence River District Bowling Association (CRDBA) was represented in the Senior Category by the Yamba pairing of Col Lindsay and Graham Meany, while Adam Hart and Brad Johnson, also of Yamba, were in the State Open division. The winners of the Zone championship qualify for the 2019 State finals to be held at Ettalong in September.

In the Senior Division, Brian Moore and John Ritchie of Condong won the morning elimination round and advanced to the final against the enthusiastic Yamba duo of Col and Graham. Col and Graham began the match brilliantly and secured a seven-shot haul on the very first end. A few ends later the Yamba masters led by 12 shots to two and the game was going according to plan. Unfortunately, the Condong couple were reading from a different set of plans and fought their way back to level the scores at 12 shots each. This fightback seemed to arouse both Col and Graham who quickly halted the Condong pairs momentum and recaptured control over the scoreboard. Col and Graham completely dominated the remainder of the game and by the end of the mandatory 21 ends of play they had captured the Zone One title and a place at the State finals with a score of 25 – 13. Graham will have a busy time at Ettalong as this title is in addition to his Zone One Senior Singles title, he captured last weekend.

In the Open Division, it was the Ballina pairing of Kris Lehfeldt and Luke Jones who earned the right to tackle Yamba’s Adam Hart and Brad Johnson in the final. Kris was keen to extract revenge upon Brad following Brad’s victory over Kris in the final of the Singles Championship seven days prior. Kris and Luke took the momentum of their morning game straight into the final and established a five or six shot buffer that they held for most of the match. Adam and Brad tried valiantly to close the gap and on the penultimate end they held four shots with only the last bowl to be played. Success on this end would have meant only a one-shot deficit going into the final end and a real opportunity to steal the match. However, the irrepressible Luke Jones extinguished the opportunity when he grabbed second shot meaning that the Yamba duo needed a last end haul of five shots to take the match. In the end it was Ballina’s Kris Lehfeldt and Luke Jones who will be going to the State finals following their 19 – 16 victory.

Congratulations to Col, Graham, Adam and Brad on their achievements and the way they represented both the Yamba Club and the CRDBA in such fine fashion.

Don Freeman