Trevor Drake skipped an Alexandra Composite team to a narrow win in the Taieri Invitation fours at the weekend.
The team of former Alexandra player Marty Kreft, Milton prison guard Keri Rupene, former Otago rugby representative Richard Morgan and Drake beat the Composite four of Dunedin twins Elliott and Oliver Mason, Caleb Hope, of Gore and Dunedin's Mike Bracegirdle 9-8 in a cliffhanger.
The Taieri club pair of Kreft and Rupene had a successful PBA season and finished runner-up in the national final last month.
Drake had a 13-4 semifinal win against Regan Larkin (Kaikorai) who has won the event twice.
It was the second time the Mason twins had finished runner-up in the event.
The Masons beat Duane White's Dunedin Composite team, which included former internationals Stewart and Duncan McConnell, 12-7 in the other semifinal.
A capacity field of 32 teams from around the South Island competed in the two-day event.
Chris Cherry brought a team south from Blenheim and former Alhambra-Union premier rugby player Kevin Gore skipped a team from Christchurch.
The plate event was won by a Dunedin Composite team of Ross Stevens, Grant Stumbles, Daniel Sinclair and Andy Callender.
The total prize money was $7000 and the purse for the winning team was $2400.
