Swallow could not even look and was visibly shaking. Francis was struggling to watch as well.
With the score level 6-6, they were up a shot on the final end and all rival skip Bronwyn Stevens could do was try to take it out with her last bowl.
She went awfully close to removing her target but her mighty effort slipped by harmlessly enough, despite a soundtrack of gasps. Swallow and Francis had won a tense final 7-6 and were overjoyed with their victory in the North East Valley women’s classic pairs title.
Neither had any idea just how much was at stake at the Dunedin Bowls Stadium until the Otago Daily Times asked them what they would do with the prize money.
"Oh my God Angie," came a delighted squeal from Swallow, followed by a lot of laughter.
"I knew we were in the money but I had no idea. It just didn’t come into it. Winning it to me is more important."
They played some magnificent bowls and had to fight at every step.
The pair fell behind 3-0 early in the final and trailed 6-4 with two ends to go. But Swallow produced two cracking bowls to level the scores at the end of the seventh end.
But it was Francis who produced the best bowl of the match. Her rival lead Gail Page had dotted some bowls close to the jack on the final end but Francis produced a superb effort which threaded its way through traffic and picked up the jack.
"I was pretty happy with that because it makes a big difference if you can get something close," Francis said.
"And moving that jack back gave us two and made us that little bit more comfortable."
Earlier, the pair needed an extra end to beat Sarah Scott and Viv Forrester 9-8 in the quarterfinal. The semifinal was close as well, with the pair emerging 7-5 winners against Ann Curtis and Dale Bourke.
Wynette McLachlan and Jean Young won the Plate final, while Joanna Cooper and Kerry Williams were the consolation winners.
