Kelly, the mother of Black Jack squad member Andrew Kelly, won the final two champion of champions events of the season to add a fourth bar to her gold star.
But it was close. The Phoenix triple of Brenda Direen, Gail Douglas and Kelly beat Meadowbank's Aileen Blyth, Mary Watson and Barbara Allan 23-22.
The Phoenix trio has been playing together for the past 10 years and this combination was crucial in the final. It was the 19th title for Direen and the 14th for Douglas.
Kelly came from behind in the singles to beat Annie McDonald (Awamoa) 21-20. These two titles let Kelly squeeze past Val Lee, who has won 24 titles. Brenda Hope has 21 titles.
Bowls North Otago life member Brian Papps has won the most men's titles, 34, and is followed by Russell McDonald (27), the late Ken Piner (23), and Snow Rudduck (22).
The New Zealand record for centre titles is held by former Black Jack David File (50) with 75 Gisborne-East Coast titles. He added the open triples and open fours this year and won his sixth New Zealand title in the national club fours at Dunedin last month.
Return after decade away
Russell McDonald has not played bowls for the past decade because of work commitments. He played in two events this year ``and played like he had never been away'', his wife Annie said.
Annie McDonald has won nine North Otago titles and just needs one more to add a bar to her gold star.
The McDonalds are keen salmon fishermen and live at the Waitaki Waters Holiday Park.
Meadowbank entered a women's team in the combined midweek Fives competition against South Canterbury clubs.
The combined men's sevens competition with South Canterbury clubs was won by Timaru's Kia Toa A. Of the North Otago teams, Phoenix finished fifth, Awamoa 11th and Meadowbank 12th.
From North Otago's viewpoint, it was always intended that this competition would be a learning experience, playing against stronger opposition and also playing several games on Timaru's artificial surfaces, Brian Papps explained.
Administrators from the two centres met this week to review the season.
Second bar for his gold star
Awamoa's Sonny Brown won his 15th North Otago title and a second bar for his gold star when he beat John Munro (Otematata) 21-15 in the champion of champion's singles. Munro had won the title in the previous two seasons.
It was Brown's second title of the season and won him the North Otago Bowler of the Year title. He was also runner-up in the champion's triples that was won by the Otematata trio of Mark Duncan, Errol Stewart and Russell Denniston.
It was the second centre title for Duncan and Denniston and the first for Stewart, who previously played for the Roslyn club in Dunedin.
The top women bowlers of the season award was won jointly by Meadowbank's Daphne Campbell and Barbara Allan with 18 points each.
Campbell won four titles and had one runner-up place. Allan won three titles, was runner-up twice and was a losing semi-finalist twice.
South Otago
Christine King won her 34th South Otago title when she skipped Balclutha to a 15-5 win in the final of the champion of champions triples against Clutha Valley's Eileen Grant, Avis Rishworth and Marg Halder. It was Mary Collett's twelfth title and Elaine Thomson's second.
Grant tops the South Otago honours board with 37 titles and is followed by King and Wynette McLachlan who both have 34 titles.
The Clutha Valley team of Grant, Rishworth and Halder won the play-off against Balclutha Red to win the Tuesday interclub competition after both teams had finished tied on points.
Finegand and Balclutha were declared joint winners of the Saturday competition after being tied on 88 points. When they played each other, they drew 6-all.
Milton Gold won the Saturday interclub pennants section 1, and South Otago Town and Country the pennants section 2.
Milton's Snow Cowie, Allan Philip and Ray Low won the South Otago men's champion of champions triples when they beat Finegand's Ian Bennett, Ken Harrison and Peter Pomeroy in the final.
It was Cowie's fifteenth centre title and added a second bar to his gold star. It was the ninth title for Philip and third for Low.
The trio, and Phil Hunter, also won the champion of champion's fours.
Dunedin
Mike Bracegirdle won his sixth Bowls Dunedin title and his third for the season when Forbury Park won the champion of champion's men's fours.
The team of Rod Fleming, Peter Wilson, Steve Fleming, and Bracegirdle beat Taieri's Peter Matheson, Lawrie Watson, Brian Cavanagh and Darryl Monaghan 15-10.
It was the seventh centre title for Wilson, third for Rodney Fleming and second for Steve Fleming.
Roger Baron (Fairfield) beat former international Ken Walker (Taieri) 21-18 in the final of the veteran men's champion of champions singles. Lyn Rance (Green Island) beat former New Zealand champion Gloria Shine (Andersons Bay) 21-16 in the women's final.
Seven of eight
Bruce and Margaret Malcolm were proud parents when their son Brent was a member of the North Harbour team that won the men's eights at Christchurch this month.
Brent Malcolm skipped the four that won seven of its eight games in the national competition for bowlers with eight years' or less playing experience.
Youth development
The winner of the inaugural Kittyhawk under-30 optional mixed pairs was held in Dunedin last month and was won by Caleb Hope (Gore) and Tom Taiaroa (Dunedin).
``We started the under-30 tournament to encourage the development of young bowlers,'' Bowls Dunedin Kittyhawk president Geoff Hanna said.
The tournament was limited to 32 teams and had prize money of $2000.
