Darlene Badenoch, Colleen Maxwell and Linda Findlay claimed the Metro-West Region Ladies Bowls Triples Shield last month. 87356_02 Picture: JOE MASTROIANNI
By LIAM TWOMEY
THREE bowlers from Altona have proved once and for all that they are the best in the west after winning the prestigious Metro-West Region Ladies Bowls Triples Shield last month.
It was a case of lightning striking twice for the ladies, who also won the same tournament last year.
Team member Colleen Maxwell said it was a great feeling to go back-to-back.
“We won it last year but it’s not easy to win so you just never know,” she said.
“We had two good wins in the first two games but the third one, we were sort of just ahead but we had won the first couple of ends,” she said.
“It is a strong competition. We were happy to win it. I thought we had a chance but you never know with so many good sides in there. I think it was a bit of the luck on the day as well.”
Altona beat a number of teams from across the western suburbs en route to winning the tournament.
It is only the third time the club has won the event in its history and Maxwell said players were forced to battle some tough conditions.
“We had 78 players this year which is 16 teams,” she said.
“It was a shocking day and they didn’t finish the last game. Someone only played a few ends so they took it right back to the ends to make it even for everyone.
“Then they go on points and shots up and all that sort of stuff and that was us.”
Maxwell and her team-mates will now turn their attention to the upcoming pennant season.
At this stage, there has been no talk among the group about going for three in a row but it would be a brave punter to rule it out.
“It’s a bit early at this stage,” Maxwell said.
“We were told because we won it last year we had to win it again. Altona has won it before and when I looked at the shield it was in the early years. It is sort of spread and shared around in terms of who has won it.”
