Day 6 – 2018 State Champions Week
Men’s Triples Final – Jarryd Davies, Jay Bye-Norris, Anthony Flapper (Essendon BC) v Johnny Sanders, Troy Stafford, Josh Sanders (Lilydale BC)
Followed on by the final ends of the Women’s Fours Final – Maureen Cooney, Gaye Clements, Robin Kellow, Karen Chenney (s) (Orbost BC) v Jo Calder, Julie Lowerson, Emma Simmonds, Dianne Gardner (s) (Irymple BC)
Mixed Pairs Round of 16 – Tiffany Brodie (Clayton BC) Brett Spurr (St Kilda BC) v Tris Doolan & Ray Jansen (MCC BC)
Two State championships decided on nailbiting last ends made for happiness and history on Day 6 of State Champions Week.
Lilydale Bowling Club’s Johnny Sanders, Troy Stafford and Josh Sanders are the new State men’s triples champions, after a dramatic 17-14 win over Essendon trio Jarryd Davies, Jay Bye-Norris and Anthony Flapper.
And Bowls Sunraysia picked up what is believed to be its first women’s championship at State Champions Week – courtesy of Irymple quartet Jo Calder, Julie Lowerson, Emma Simmonds and Di Gardner (s).
From the Irymple club just outside Mildura, Gardner’s team came back from plenty down against Orbost’s Maureen Cooney, Gaye Clements, Robin Kellow and Karen Chenney (s) representing Gippsland for a 15-11 win.
For Lilydale skip Josh Sanders, a State title victory had been a long time coming. Always thereabouts in State championships and big tournaments like the Steller Vic Open, the big ones had proved elusive. Until today.
But victory in a tense, tight match came only on the last bowl, with Flapper unable to pick up the number he needed.
Trailing 14-12 going into the 16th of 18 ends, Sanders, Stafford and Sanders picked up a massive three to take the lead with two ends left. Another shot followed, then Team Lilydale had to sweat out the final end – a sensational draw shot from Josh Sanders giving his side clear air before Flapper had last go.
But his drive couldn’t change things up – missing by an inch – and Sanders’ double-fisted air punch told the story as the Lilydale team took out a State Champions Week classic 17-14.
For Bye-Norris, it put an end to his hopes of a fourth title at 2018 State Champions Week, but he has still finished the event as its standout performer.
Bye-Norris won the men’s State singles, men’s fours with Flapper and Essendon teammates Jordan Yates and Darren Burgess, and the Under 25 men’s singles to mirror Kylie Whitehead’s triple State Champions Week victory in 2017.
Gardner’s four trailed 10-3 early in their match, and just kept ekeing out shot after shot to claw their way back into the match.
They grabbed an 11-10 lead, then picked up two and one on successive ends going into the last of the 18-end match.
They played a sensible, no-frills last end to close the door on any chance for Chenney and close out the match – fittingly – with another single shot for a 15-11 win.
Mixed pairs round of 16 and quarter-finals were also played on Day 6, with the semi-finals and final to bring down the curtain on 2018 State Champions Week on Monday.
In a classic mixed pairs round of 16 clash, Victorian reps Tiffany Brodie (Clayton) and Brett Spurr (St Kilda) defeated Tris Doolan and Ray Jansen (MCC) by a single shot after an extra end – a match featured in our daily video above.
Men’s triples fixtures
Men’s triples results
Women’s fours fixtures
Women’s fours results
Mixed pairs fixtures
Mixed pairs results
