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Supplied
The Kia Toa team of, from left, Jim Kane, Doug Brown, Alan Wilkinson and Tony Wilkinson after winning South Canterbury bowls’ centre fours title.
Alan Wilkinson saved his best to last in steering Kia Toa to a nailbiting win in the South Canterbury Bowling Centre’s open fours title final on Sunday.
Wilkinson skipped his son Tony Wilkinson, Jim Kane and Doug Brown to a 19-16 win over Waimate’s Dan Rooney, Duncan Cotton, Nick Scriggins and Trev Marshall in a match that could have gone either way on the final end.
Kia Toa clung to a one-shot lead – 17-16 – into the last end following a magnificent draw shot by Kane with his side three shots behind on the head.
On the final end Tony Wilkinson drew shot but Scriggins took it back, drawing alongside the jack,. Kane was unlucky, touching the jack, but Kia Toa was still one down. Alan Wilkinson, with his team’s last bowl, then played the shot of the tournament to sit Rooney’s bowl through for two. Rooney then missed with a drive to give victory and the title to Kia Toa.
That match did not appear it was going to be close over the early ends as Alan Wilkinson, with Waimate holding three, trailed the jack for six shots on the first end and then combined with Tony Wilkinson on the next end to race to a 9-0 lead after two ends.
Waimate, trailing 11-4, got back in the match with a four to close to 11-8.
On the eighth end Waimate again plastered the jack but Kane played a stunner, drawing a great shot, which Rooney failed to move it with two run shots and Kia Toa’s lead was 12-8.
Brown and Tony Wilkinson drew great shots on the next end but a Rooney attack put the jack into the ditch but the end result was four to Kia Toa and 16-10 lead.
Waimate roared back into the match on the 12th end as Cotton trailed the jack to hold three shots and Rooney added two as Alan Wilkinson missed two run shots and the gap closed to 16-15 and levelled the match on the next end.
With the scores locked 16-all with two ends to play Waimate held three shots before Kane produced a draw shot stunner which Rooney missed for Kia Toa to take the one shot lead into the exciting final end.
Tony Wilkinson was man of match in the final for his precise drawing at number two, bowls spokesperson Richie Kerr said.
Results
Quarterfinal: Roger Glendinning, Ricky Ross subbing for late Steve Jones, Bruce Genever, Jarod Trevathan (Geraldine) 15, Dean Harper, Mike Crook, Aaron Taylor, Lindsay Bell (Kia Toa) 7.
Semifinals: Dan Rooney, Duncan Cotton, Nick Scriggins, Trevor Marshall (Waimate) 21, Glendinning 14; Alan Wilkinson, Jim Kane Tony Wilkinson, Doug Brown subbing for Mike Kane (Kia Toa) 15, Dave McClelland, Roger Jackson, Greg Valentine, Dave Wood (Temuka) 1.
Final: Wilkinson 19, Rooney 16.
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