The Central Otago women's triples bowls team that won the New Zealand open title at Auckland yesterday. Pictured (from left) are Christine Buchanan and Margaret O'Connor (Queenstown), Linley O'Callaghan (Alexandra). Photo by Crispin Anderlini.

Central Otago bowls claimed centre stage yesterday when the women's triples team of Christine Buchanan, Linley O'Callaghan and Margaret O'Connor won the New Zealand open final in Auckland.

They beat the Composite team of Diane Hazelton, Bev Crowe and Karen de Jongh 13-11.

''It's great,'' O'Callaghan said.

''We are absolutely thrilled. It's almost unbelievable.''

It is the first New Zealand title for Queenstown's Buchanan and O'Connor and the second for O'Callaghan (Alexandra).

She was a key member of the Alexandra club team that won the Pathways sevens in 2010.

The Central Otago team made a decisive break midway through the game to get the win.

De Jongh's team led 5-3 after eight of the 15 ends but Central Otago then scored a two, three, three and two on the next four ends to lead 13-5 after 12 ends.

De Jongh's team collected twos on the final three ends to close the gap to two points at the end.

''We knew we had the points on the board so we told ourselves to reduce the count,'' O'Callaghan said.

Buchanan led accurately throughout the competition, O'Callaghan played some telling shots and O'Connor was the rock when the team was under pressure in the last three ends.

O'Callaghan has been playing bowls for 17 years and has won a record 28 Central Otago titles.

O'Connor has won 18 Central Otago titles in her 16 years of bowls and Buchanan eight in her five years of bowls.

Alexandra's Pat Houlahan and Alvin Gardiner (Christchurch) finished runner-up in the men's pairs, beaten by the Composite pair of Barclay Lee and Rob Ashton 18-10.