Bowls: Festive time for Taieri pair

Santa Claus made a quick visit to Mosgiel yesterday to give Janet Swallow and Wendy Hurring an early Christmas present.

The Taieri bowlers reached significant milestones when they beat Lyn Rance and Faye Cosgrove (Green Island) 15-13 in the final of the Bowls Dunedin open pairs.

It was the 10th title for Swallow and gave her a bar for her gold star. It was Hurring's fifth title and earned her a Bowls Dunedin gold star.

"It's pretty special and a very good Christmas present for us both," Swallow said.

Swallow was runner-up in the same event last year, when she lost to fellow Taieri club members Jenny Dyhrberg and Beth Brown. She had been runner-up in centre events three times since she won her ninth title three seasons ago.

The fifth title was special for Hurring, because this was only her second season back after missing four years of bowls after having a knee replacement operation.

The game had looked out of reach for the Taieri pair after Green Island drew five shots on the 13th of 18 ends, to lead 12-8.

Taieri added a shot on the next end to extend the advantage to five shots, with only four ends left.

Swallow played the shot of the game on the 16th end, when she trailed the jack into the ditch to gain three shots. Hurring had put in two back bowls.

Taieri gained two more shots on the next end, and led 14-13 going into the last end.

Green Island had two shots on the head on the 18th end when Swallow drew the shot with her first bowl and Cosgrove failed to remove the shot with her three bowls.

There will be a clash of internationals when Ross Thomson and Ken Walker (Fairfield) meet the North East Valley combination of Greg Cash and Shaun Scott in the final of the Bowls Dunedin open pairs next month.

Walker beat Lou Boock and Trevor Gore (Taieri) 21-12 in one semifinal and Scott beat Graeme Cocks and Joko Susilo (Andersons Bay) 21-14 in the other.

The final will be played at the Taieri green on Friday, January 13 at 4pm.