THE Far Western Bowls mixed pairs finals were played at Dartmoor on Sunday, with the sectional day played at Grangeburn.

The four finalists were Peter Merryfull with Jenny Mutch, along with Neville and Chick Trotman.

Both pairs are Balmoral members and they drew each other to play the first round of the knockout stage, 18 ends of two and walk, so a big first game.

It started with eight bowls in the yardstick area and the standard was high all game.

Merryfull won the first end then Neville the next two.

Then, oh dear a five to the first named and the score went to 10-5 by the seventh.

The Trotman pair fought back to be one down on the 11th end, before Merryfull and Mutch got into top gear and ended up winning, 21 to 14.

The other sectional winners were Chris and Ronda Bramley of RSL Memorial and Mick Swan with Sheree Chaudry from Heywood.

This game started with the Heywood pair winning four ends and getting to 5-0.

Then the Bramley’s’ got a four, nothing for the next four ends and then a six to trail 10-12.

The battle continued with scores at 15-15 on the 13th end.

The Heywood pair reached was up 19-17 on the second last end and the tension was palpable, as Swan and Chaudry held one shot and with the last bowl went within the proverbial of having to play an extra end.

It was not needed though, as the Heywood players went to the grand final.

The first games took three and a half hours.

The final commenced and again the bowls were of a very high standard. 

Merryfull and Mutch were 10-5 up after seven ends.

Things went Balmoral’s way pretty much no matter what happened on the green.

Chaudry could get within a foot of the jack and Mutch would better it, the same with the skippers.

The score did get to 16-12 on the 15th end and then the difference was five one end later.

On the 17th, the Heywood pair held a five with two bowls to go and Merryfull somehow found his mark, cutting it back to two.

So, after the let down or adrenalin flood, the last end went to Balmoral, meaning Merryfull and Mutch will represent our area at region level later in the season 

The next championship is the men’s triples to be to be played at Penshurst, starting on Sunday.

This championship has only nine entries, similar to the fours being the lowest number in recorded history; during Covid there were 12.

These sectional games are two bowls per player, so quite a bit quicker than the previous games.

The entry skippers are Merryfull, Ken Prewett, Mick Ross, Des Pitts, John Wallis, Chris Flemming, Norm Pech, Neville Trotman and Swan.

Saturday pennant commences this weekend.

There are eight players in a side in division one and eight in the other Divisions.

This was initiated after a club representative meeting to assist fielding of sides.