Back on home greens, Indi Conlan claims Summerland doubles
The Summerland Series bowls championships have wrapped up their doubles competition at Cherry Street Sports, with former Ballina bowler Indi Conlan claiming the title after three days of high-quality play.
Conlan, now based at Burleigh Heads, teamed up with club partner Scott De Jongh to defeat Alstonville local Peter Taylor and Raymond Terrace bowler Tim Twining in yesterday afternoon’s final.
The final score was 20–10, although Ballina Men’s Bowling Club president Geoff Wegg (pictured) said the margin did not reflect how close the contest was for much of the match.
“It was tight for a long time,” Mr Wegg said.
“The scoreboard doesn’t show how hard-fought it really was.”
Earlier rounds set the tone for the finish, with both semifinals decided only after extra ends.
“The two semifinals were decided on the last bowl of extra ends,” Mr Wegg said.
“They were both tied at the end of regulation play.”
The tournament attracted strong fields from across New South Wales and Queensland, with 64 pairs competing for Australian ranking points and a share of the $25,000 total prize pool.
The winning pair shared $4,000 in prize money.
Peter Taylor
Alstonville’s Peter Taylor in action
Mr Wegg said the Summerland Series had cemented itself as one of the most prestigious bowls events in the region.
“It’s a major event on the New South Wales bowls calendar,” he said.
“We get national, state and regional representative players from across both states.”
Conlan, the current Queensland singles champion, will return to Cherry Street this weekend to contest the singles championships, which run over three days from Saturday.
The singles event has attracted 84 nominations, with sectional play scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals and the final on Monday.
Several doubles finalists, including Conlan and Taylor, are expected to back up in the singles competition.
The Summerland Series is hosted by the Ballina Bowling Club at Cherry Street Sports, with sponsorship from Cherry Street Sports Group, McGrath Real Estate and Aero Bowls.
Matches from the tournament have been live streamed on YouTube, allowing bowls fans to follow the action throughout the two weekends of competition.
