McEwan leads team to mixed fours win

Brent McEwan.
Brent McEwan.
The Brent McEwan-skipped four proved an unstoppable force in the Forsyth Barr Optional Mixed Fours at Dunedin Lawn Bowls Stadium on Sunday.

With Mike Bracegirdle playing lead, Shannon McEwan second and Jan Hall third, the McEwan-skipped mixed fours combination got away to a flying start, notching up convincing victories in the first four rounds.

It defeated the Elaine Legg-skipped four in the first round, the Trish Marr four in the second, Ann Craik's four in the third and the Natta four in the fourth.

But in the fifth and final round the McEwan four almost dropped from contention, despite its early dominance.

In that round, the McEwan four was drawn to play the Jan Young four, while the only other undefeated team, skipped by Doug Thomas, appeared on paper as if they could win the title when drawn to play the Ann Craik four, which had not won a game all day.

But as the Thomas combination succumbed to a loss against Craik, a draw by the McEwan four with the Jan Young four proved enough to clinch the title, as the McEwan combination finished on nine points.

The loss for Thomas had his team finish equal on eight points with the Beth Brown four. The Thomas four finished third behind the Brown combination on differential. The Brown four perhaps rued a slow start and its first round loss to the Wally Shaw combination.

With bowlers now returning to their clubs and summer competition in the outdoors, a full list of entries on Sunday proved a fitting finale to the Dunedin Lawn Bowls Stadium winter season, that began back in April. Similar match-ups across the board made for some intense rivalry and interesting results.

Bowls Dunedin featured at the annual Bowls New Zealand Summerset Awards, held in the Conference Centre at Eden Park Stadium, Auckland, last Friday.

John Latimer was awarded the country's club personality of the year. Also in the list of award nominations were Evan Roberts for coach of the year, and the Taieri Bowling Club for club of the year.

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