PENARTH Bowling Club’s Indoor Finals, held last weekend, produced a virtual feast of excellent bowling with an abundance of first class encounters.

The highlights of the competitions were championship wins for Dave Clements and Wendy Grant and two final appearances each for Tricia Brinkworth and Kath Jenkins and three for Phil Davies.

Events got underway with a remarkable triples knock-out final between the Untouchables, comprising Berwyn Lansley, Ken Brinkworth and Bob Willmott, who lined against the “Academicals”, Ron Birkby, Bob Horne and Nick Chandler.

The match appeared to be all over after 11 ends with the Untouchables leading by 18-6, but, in what must rate as one of the greatest comebacks since Lazarus was raised from the dead, the Academicals scored 16 shots to their rivals’ one over the concluding 10 ends, to run out winners by 22-19.

Saturday morning saw the final of the ladies novices’ competition between Winifred Williams and Chris Davies.

This match was keenly fought with the pair locked at 14 all after 19 ends. However Winifred grabbed the initiative at this point and scored the seven shots needed for victory to win an entertaining game 21-14.

Meanwhile, the Mixed Pairs Final saw the very experienced Dennis Edwards and Carol Wilson pitched against Bob Hill and Sue Croll, who was deputising for the indisposed Belinda Price.

Bob and Sue immediately established their dominance, and despite the best efforts of the opposition, they ran out comfortable winners by 25 shots to seven.

The afternoon session produced two excellent matches. In the Ladies Two-Wood Pairs Final there was nothing between the pair comprising Tricia Brinkworth and Christina Church against Val Turner and Jayne Edwards, with the game locked at 12 all.

At this point Tricia and Christina grabbed some vital shots, and despite a valiant effort by the opposition, who picked up three consecutive singles, it was Tricia and Christina who finally prevailed with a “two” on the last end, to finish up victors by 19-15.

Concurrently, there was a superb men’s 4-wood Pairs final where Nick Thomas and Colin Grant faced Phil Davies and Alan Stockham.

There was some excellent bowling throughout and in a match not for the faint-hearted, there was just one shot in it after 18 ends with Phil and Alan ahead.

The pair then went on to notch up eight shots on the concluding three ends to end up worthy winners.

In the concluding session of the day, the Ladies Triples was dominated by Jill Gaskell, Joan Lewis and Joan Phelps, who always held the whip hand and dominated throughout to prevail over Anne Thomas, Marian Vanstone and Kath Jenkins 18-7.

Sunday’s Ladies Two-wood singles resulted in a “walk-over” for Tricia Brinkworth, again due to the absence of Belinda Price.

Meanwhile, there was a comfortable win in the Two-Wood Pairs for Colin Grant and Don Butler, who dominated throughout to defeat Phil Davies and Mike England 19-9. The ever reliable Colin was indebted to the consistency of Don, who, at the age of 89, amply demonstrated that his bowling skills are as sharp as ever.

Sunday afternoon’s Ladies’ 4-wood Pairs was another hard fought game between Norma Duggan and Kath Jenkins, pitched against Sue John and Carol Hall. Things proved to be very tight in this one as well and it was only during the latter stages that Sue and Carol grabbed the initiative and won through by 22 shots to 14.

The other match in this session was the Final of the Monday League Rinks KO between the “Medicals”, Mike Conway, Bob Horne, Nick Chandler and Dave Clements up against last year’s winners the “Untouchables”, Phil Davies, Ron Birkby, Terry Buckingham and Clive Fry.

Despite the best efforts of the Medicals this turned out to be a somewhat one-sided affair with the Untouchables always having the edge to run out winners by a comfortable 23-9.

Disappointingly, there was to be no Ladies Championship final this year, due to Belinda’s indisposition and Wendy Grant took the title in another “walk-over”.

Everyone at the club wishes Belinda a speedy recovery and a welcome return to bowls in the very near future.

The Men’s Championship Final was a keenly awaited clash between two excellent bowlers in Colin Grant and Dave Clements.

There was some consummate bowling from both in the earlier stages but Dave always had the edge and established an unassailable 18 shots to six lead which eventually proved to be beyond Colin’s best efforts and it was Dave who ultimately prevailed by 21-10, a result in which it would be fair to say did not fully reflect the fine contribution made by Colin.