Minor premiers Helensvale Hawks have taken out the 2012 Aero Bowls Premier League Qld finals at South Tweed last weekend.
The Helensvale Hawks out-lasted the gallant South Tweed Sharks to win the Premier and Premier Reserves. Both games were fitting finals with the result in doubt until the very end.
Premier League – Hawks win 54-52, 1-2 rinks
Mark Casey (H) def Sean Baker (STS) 24-16, Kelvin Kerkow (STS) def Nathan Rice (H) 17-16
and Neville Jenkins (STS) def Brett Wilkie (H) 19-14.
After a slow start and trailing 3-11 (7 ends) it was ‘Hammer Time’ for Helensvale’s Mark Casey as he kept Sean Baker scoreless for 10 of the next 14 ends – a run to Casey of 19-5 shots.
At 13 all (14 ends) crucial back to back 4s then consecutive singles put Casey ahead 23-13 and onward to victory.
South Tweed’s Kelvin Kerkow started with a bang winning a six end 10-0 run to lead 10-4 on eight ends but then Nathan Rice won eight of the next nine to lead 15-11 after 17 ends.
Kelvin retook the lead with a three then two and eventually won 17-16.
As the first end to finish, they were left to watch Baker then finally Neville Jenkins and Brett Wilkie finish the contest. It was 52-49 to the Hawks with Baker (1) and Jenkins (2) ends to play.
Unlike the other games, there was no convincing run of ends and shots to either team, scores were tied on five of the 21 ends and the margin was never greater than three shots until the final and 21st end.
It all came down to this final rink and the final end between Neville Jenkins and Brett Wilkie. Jenkins needed five shots to tie the match and held three early. Wilkie’s 3rd Anthony Kiepe made Jenkins task tougher placing his last in close and though Jenkins ultimately took three shots, it was not enough. Jenkins won the match 19-14, the Sharks won the rinks 2-1 but the Hawks won the crucial overall, 54-52.
Reserve Grade – Hawks win 84-74, 2-2 rinks
Trev Smith’s telling five on the final end not only confirmed his win over Lindsay Ponting but put the Hawks in charge in the Reserve grade final. In a match that included only 1 x 4 and 3 x 3 shot ends, this five was a telling blow and more than countered the three that Ponting collected on the 20th end to give his team a chance trailing 17-18.
Ray Hickman was flying early as his team led 17-1 after winning seven of the first eight ends.
Patch and his comrades were not deterred. With a 9-0 run and winning 10 of the final 13 ends they turned a potential horror defeat into a respectable six shot loss and also contributed strongly to the overall win.
Sharks Charlie Neave couldn’t breach the gap throughout against Brett Tynan winning only seven of the 21 ends contested.
To their credit, the gap was 13 shots after seven ends but did not blow out and remained at 13 at the conclusion, Tynan winning 26-13.
Wayne Earea’s team did their best to get the Sharks over the line with a win but unfortunately had their margin eroded in the final two ends. From a 22-14 lead, Balzarola picked up a 4 then 1 to salvage valuable shots.
Despite splitting the rinks two each, Helensvale’s efforts in the final ends to win or reduce a losing margin proved crucial. The final margin was 10 shots, 84 to 74.
Trev Smith (H) def Lindsay Ponting (STS) 23-17
Ray Hickman (STS) def Owen Patch (H) 22-16
Brett Tynan (H) def Charlie Neave (STS) 26-13
Wayne Earea (STS) def John Balzarola (H) 22-19
