It was a dramatic finish as Alexandra clinched a spot in the national division 1 final with the last bowl.
Chatto Creek sheep farmer Trevor Drake kept his cool and drove the jack into the ditch for two shots to take his club into the national Interclub Sevens finals for the first time since 1996.
Alexandra won the final by nine points on differential after two days and five rounds of bowls in the zone six regional finals at the Balclutha Bowling Club at the weekend.
It will travel to Palmerston North later this month.
The final points were: Alexandra 24 points (differential plus 77), Taieri 24 (differential plus 68), Te Rangi (Southland) 12 (minus 22), Milton (South Otago) 10 (minus 12), Phoenix (North Otago) 10 (minus 44), Kia Toa (South Canterbury) 2 (minus 67).
Taieri needed to win the last end of the fours by three shots to win the event on the differential count.
It had the three shots on the head before Drake's last bowl.
Drake has only been playing bowls for the last eight years but knows how to keep a cool head in a crisis.
All the pressure was on him as he looked at his options. He remained cool.
''Pressure doesn't worry me,'' Drake said.
''You just have to stay relaxed and play your normal bowls. I just backed myself to do it.
''It was a tremendous result for the seven of us and for the Alexandra club.''
After four rounds Taieri was in the box seat, with two more match points than Alexandra and a differential 14 shots better.
Alexandra had to win the singles, pairs and fours in the last round.
Singles player Bill Clements, the holder of 64 Central Otago centre titles, put Alexandra on the front foot by beating Te Rangi's Graham Low 25-6.
The pair of Trevor Ludlow and Pat Houlahan won their fourth game when they beat Phoenix 19-10.
The four of Ewan Kirk, Marty Kreft, Martin Geary and Drake had to beat Taieri's Andrew Gawn, Warren Tisdall, Robbie Gibson and David Archer and keep ahead on the points differential.
They looked to be in the box seat when they led 13-2 after just six ends.
Taieri came back into contention with a four on the 10th end and had four shots on the head on the 11th end when Drake's weighted shot nestled close to the jack.
The 13th and final end was killed twice by Alexandra before Drake's drive gave them the 18-8 win, their fifth in five games.
The only other unbeaten player in division one was Taieri singles player Ken Walker, who won five games.
The Forbury Park pair of Kerry Roberts and Glen Murtagh won five games for the winning division 2 team.
Singles player Oliver Mason won four games while the four of Gordon Davis, Carl Hotop, Barry Taggart and Howard Mason won two games.
Forbury Park won with 22 points (differential plus 34) from Northend (Southland) 19 (plus 44), Finegand (South Otago) 19 (plus 7), Phoenix 13 (plus 5), Alexandra 10 (minus 15), Fairlie (South Canterbury) 5 (minus 75).
Bowls Dunedin is holding a Hong Kong Somerset optional pairs competition on Saturday afternoons for four weeks from March 15 for 48 teams. Entries to Robbie Gibson at the Taieri club.
