Geraldton claim men’s & women’s champ of champs bowls titles

Geraldton has claimed both the men’s and ladies’ Batavia Bowling League Champion of Champions pairs titles at Denison ahead of winners from all five clubs in the league. The event was the last for Denison on the grass greens, with the club opting to replace the surface with synthetic after the season. The decision follows Northampton’s announcement it will also transfer to artificial turf, with the installation set to start after the Yuna men’s threes later this month. The round robin produced many outstanding encounters, with the quality of the bowls played of the highest order despite a gusty crosswind making consistency difficult. Competitive qualification kept the healthy number of spectators entertained over the day’s 16 matches. At the end of play, Geraldton’s Fiona Panting and Lorraine Exten, along with Mike Ford and Geoff Ellis, in for Shane Giudice-Nairn, emerged as the year’s champion pairings ahead of a quality list of rivals. Northampton finished runner-up for both the men and ladies, with Dale Maver, Alan Cragan, Lynn Joyce and Anne Labruyere in excellent touch. Wonthella’s representatives were Colin O’Brien and Henry Slawinski, along with Pat Rowell and Carole Armstrong. Terry Koltasz and John Sims represented Mullewa, with Danny Hutchcraft and Adam French, along with Pat Belcher and Gloria Nelson strong on home soil for hosts Denison. Wonthella’s annual P.S. Chester triples are set to be played on Wednesday, with limited spaces still available for nominations. The Yuna Triples on January 17 are near capacity with only three places remaining, while the Kailis nominated men’s carnival over the January 23-24 weekend is said to be full and closed.