L to R: Adam Pinkerton, Peter Freestone and Miro Perovik (Terrigal) Winners

L to R; Darren Morrison, David Nielsen and Jeff Watson (Terrigal) Runners-up

Click Photo to enlarge

The unpredictability of bowls was highlighted in the drama-filled running of the 2013 Zone 15 Triples Championship. The sixty two teams entered were divided into four sections with Section 1 to be played at Avoca Beach, Section 2 at Ettalong Memorial, Section 3 at The Entrance and Section 4 at Munmorah.

The format for the event was two bowl triples over 25 ends and the drama started when the first day’s play was washed out with heavy rain that sent the Match Committee scrambling to re-schedule matches.

The rain departed and the Sectional Rounds were completed with The Entrance team of Bill Constantine (skip), Peter Whitfield (2^nd) and Peter McCarten (lead) winning Section 1, Section 2 went to Terrigal’s Peter Freestone (skip), Adam Pinkerton (2^nd) and Miro Perovic (lead) while Section 3 was won by Ettalong Memorial’s World Champion, Aron Sherriff steering his team of John Roberts (2^nd) and Harley McDonald (lead), the same team that won this event in 2012 and 2011,and Section 4 was wrapped up by Terrigal’s Darren Morrison (skip), David Nielson (2^nd) and Jeff Watson (lead).

The drama continued in the semi-finals with one of the tournament favourites, Aron Sherriff’s Ettalong team, getting out to an early lead over Darren Morrison, but the Terrigal boys hit back and caught Ettalong 6-6 at end 7. From there on Terrigal stormed to the finish winning 26-17 after 24 ends with end 25 not required to be played.

Yet more drama occurred in the other semi-final with a titanic battle between Bill Constantine’s The Entrance team versus the other Terrigal team to make the finals, skipped by Peter Freestone.

With one end to play and the score tied at 19-19 The Entrance had their fingers crossed holding two shots only to see the Terrigal skip play a superb draw shot aided by a small “wick” to steal the match by the narrowest of margins 20-19.

A warm and sunny Sunday 10^th February at high noon saw the two Terrigal teams come out onto the Avoca Beach green with all guns blazing to battle it out for the Final.

Peter Freestone’s team drew first blood with a five on the first end and then gradually racked up the points as they played a steady draw game forcing Darren Morrison, as skip, to drive into the ‘head’ and ‘killing’ the end on several occasions.

After the 24^th end Darren was behind by nine shots (26-17) and with only six more on offer it was not necessary to play the last end of a game played in the best spirit of the sport with Peter Freestone, Adam Pinkerton and Miro Perovik being crowned the winners of the 2013 Zone 15 Triples Championship.

By Bob Bourke