The Yamba Grade 3 Pennant side have claimed the 2016 Zone One champions and now advance to the State finals. The Yamba side has been able to secure the Clarence River District Bowling Association title over the last few years, but has found the Zone title elusive. However, through a different approach to team selection, unrivalled commitment by the players and a great sense of camaraderie within the side they have fought their way through all obstacles to claim the mantle as the premier Grade 3 Pennant combinations on the Far North Coast and now require only five more victories to achieve state dominance. On Saturday the Yamba side confronted a Lismore City combination. Yamba teams started brilliantly with Brad Johnson and his team of Mark Scobie, Martyn Wood and Alan Abbott dominating most ends to record an impressive 30-7 win. Allan Parker, Bruce Angel, Steve Kliendienst and, skip, Graham Meany survived a late challenge by their Lismore City opponents before winning 19-15. Peter Forrester and his team of Bill McDonald, Trevor Bardsley and Bob Ballantyne were level five times throughout their match before losing narrowly 15-20. On Sunday morning Lismore City were defeated by Condong setting the stage for the afternoon’s ‘grand final’ between Condong and Yamba. Graham Meany and his team again started well and established a narrow but significant lead halfway through the match, but at this point their Condong opposition surged and managed to gain a 13-10 lead after thirteen ends. Graham, Steve, Bruce and Allan then displayed their champion qualities to regain control of the mat, winning seven of the final eights ends to score a 23-16 victory. Across the green Peter Forrester and his team were again pitched in a dour battle. The score card was level six times but with only the final end remaining in the match Peter, Bob, Trevor and Bill had scrapped to a two shot advantage leading 18-16. However, as happens often in this unpredictable game, Condong managed a way to secure the necessary three shots to snatch victory 19-18. Upon the adjacent rink Brad Johnson, Alan Abbott, Martyn Wood and Mark Scobie were making life difficult for their Condong opposition answering every challenge and claimed a 29-15 victory. The combined scores meant a 70-50, nine to one victory, making the Yamba team the 2016 Zone One Champions. The Yamba Bowling and Recreation Club and the Maclean and District Bowling Club, in conjunction with the Clarence Valley Council, have been selected to host the men’s 2016 New South Wales Grade 3 Lawn Bowls Pennant State finals. All 16 New South Wales zones, including the Yamba team, will be represented bringing hundreds of players, officials and supporters to the district over the four day period. The state finals will commence with a practice session on the afternoon of Friday 29th July, followed by sectional play at both clubs over the weekend with rounds commencing at 9am and 1pm daily, culminating with the top two zones doing battle in the grand final at the Yamba Bowling and Recreation Club on Monday morning 1st August commencing at 9am. Yamba has drawn to play against Zones 5 (Greater Western Sydney), 10 (Sydney North West) and Zone 15 (Central Coast) in a challenging pool which will contest their sectional games at Maclean. The 2016 Minor Triples Championship commence with Round 1 scheduled for Tuesday evening and Round 2 on Thursday with both sessions scheduled to commence at 5.30pm. The quarter and semi-finals of both the men’s and women’s 2016 Major/Minor Pairs Championships will be contested on Sunday 2nd July commencing at 9am and 1pm respectively. The nomination sheets for the club’s 2016 Minor Singles and Pairs Championships are on the notice board. A reminder that the next travelling bowlers foray is a trip to Urunga and Macksville on the weekend of 9 and 10 July. A participation sheet, with all details, is on the Travelling Bowler’s noticeboard. This trip will be followed by a visit by the Queensland Veterans on Saturday 20th August and a reciprocal visit to Yamba by the Park Beach Pirates on Sunday 28th August. Social bowls continues with pairs on Wednesday and triples on Friday. All games commence at 1pm and names need to be on the respective nomination sheets by 11.30am on the day of play. Don Freeman