Men’s O60s State Triples
Osborne Park impressive in win over Thornlie The Osborne Park team of Steve O’Neill, Gordon King and Grant Nicol are this season’s Over 60’s State Triples champions winning the final at Osborne Park Bowling Club on November 18th. The side put on an impressive display throughout the tournament with only one of their matches being decided by less than five shots. Their final opponent was the side of James Stean, Terry McCormack and Dave Bradbury. The Thornlie boys won their section in convincing fashion before triumphing in some close knockout encounters to reach the final. O’Neill, King and Nicol survived their greatest scare of the tournament in the semi-final to make it to the final. Down 3-11 after six ends against David Malkin, Terry Cranswick and Brian Cranswick, and having just dropped a four, they rallied to win the next eight ends. Up 16-11 with four ends to play they were able to hold on and win 19-15. Stean, McCormack and Bradbury found things a little more comfortable against Ian James, Brian Doney and Donald Patton from Jurien. Although down 1-8 early they rattled off twenty unanswered shots. The Thornlie side won ten of the last eleven ends to run out 23-10 winners with two ends to spare. The final started off tight with the sides going shot for shot. At 3-3 O’Neill put together back to back threes to forge a six shot advantage after six ends. Two ends later with the scores at 10-4 play was stopped due to rain. When the rain finally stopped the green was significantly slower and it was clear whichever team adapted best would win the game. The heads immediately became looser which would create opportunities for big scores.
• Steve O’Neill in action.
‘When the rain finally stopped, the green was significantly slower and it was clear whichever team adapted best would win the game…’
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• Gordon King, Vanessa Northcote (Aero Bowls World), Grant Nicol and Steve O’Neill.
The first two ends after the restart yielded a shot apiece as the players adjusted to the slowness of the green. Then the Osborne Park team blew the game apart with a massive five on the eleventh end. With the score at 16-5 with seven ends remaining all they had to do was go tit for tat until the end of the game. They followed up with a two and a single to stretch their advantage to fourteen with five ends to play. Stean picked up a single on each of the next two ends but were unable to secure the scores needed to get them back in the game. Heading into the sixteenth end all O’Neill and his side needed to do was score and they would win the title. They established control of the head early and never relinquished it and gained the shot they needed to win the match, and the trophy.