For the very first time, Tuncurry Beach Bowling Club will be represented at the NSW Women's State Championship finals in both the open and senior pairs.
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This follows two close and exciting region two finals held at Port City Bowling Club last week in which the winners were not decided until the very last bowls were played.
Pam Coleman and Sarah Boddington had to play an extra end against Port City rivals, Kylie Hardie and Carol White in the open pairs while the seniors' final, Trish Wilson and Sue Thomas had to pull out all stops to quell a gallant fightback from their Lake Cathie counterparts, Helene White and Vera Hamilton.
After a solid start in the open final the Tuncurry Beach duo found themselves having to fight all the way against the talented Port City pair, finding themselves staring defeat in the face coming into the last end.
Down 13-14, Sarah, as she has done so many times before, drew the shot with her last bowl, forcing the game into an extra end.
And to her opponents' utter dismay, she repeated the dose soon after to record a 15-14 victory.
"I'm more than just relieved," Sarah said after the game.
"We lost this final last year in similar circumstances when the opposing skip pulled out a screamer to win with her last bowl on an extra end, so I was determined that the situation would never arise where it could happen again.
"It very nearly did, so I'm over the moon, especially for Pam's sake, that we were able to go one better this year," she said.
The seniors' final had just as dramatic a finale with the result very much up in the air until the very last bowl of the game.
After dominating the game early and enjoying a 19-5 lead, Trish and Sue seemed destined for a comfortable win until the Lake Cathie pair launched a determine fight back to see themselves trailing by only three shots (16-19) with one end to go.
With 'nerves' and the Lake Cathie girls dominating the end, Sue found herself down five shots and game with just one bowl remaining.
Without flinching and with nerves apparently out the window, Sue strode to the mat and calmly drew second shot, thus claiming a 19-17 victory and passage to the State finals in Tamworth later this year.
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