Ilford Indoor Bowls Club’s Finals Week continued with a thrilling day of competition, featuring four closely contested finals that captivated a large and enthusiastic crowd.
In the Men’s Fixed Jack Final, Gary Burns edged out Bob Smith in a nail-biting finish. The match saw both players level at 85-all after 17 ends, but Burns clinched the victory 91-89 with a decisive final bowl.
Bob Smith returned to the green for the Men’s Consolation Singles Final against newcomer Lol Green. Smith built a solid lead, but Green fought back to narrow the gap. Ultimately, Smith secured the title with a 22-18 win, marking his second trophy of the week.
The Men’s Pairs Final featured the dynamic duos of Mickey Pace and Mark Banning versus Paco Rodrigues and Karl Bunyan. The match was tightly contested, with the score tied at various points. Rodrigues and Bunyan pulled ahead in the final ends to claim a 16-13 victory.
In the Ladies’ Pairs Final, defending champions Debbie Jones and Paula Nottage faced off against Jackie Stephens and Julie Watkins. Jones and Nottage led 16-11 going into the final end, but Stephens and Watkins staged a remarkable comeback, scoring five shots to force a sudden-death end. Maintaining their momentum, Stephens and Watkins secured the championship in the extra end.
