INDOOR BOWLS - North trio so close to national coup

Judy Johnstone's triples team fell agonisingly short of a dramatic come-from-behind victory at the 59th Lion Foundation National Indoor Bowls Championships at the QE2 Centre in Tauranga yesterday.
The team of Johnston, Colin Douglass and Kath Love from Marist Hora-Hora, led 9-7 going into the final end but Tatuanui skipper Shaun Burnand trailed the last bowl to score a three and take the match 10-9.
Johnston's team started the final disastrously and were soon 0-7 down, but a great fight-back by the team got them back into contention.
Two scores of three saw them back in contention at 6-7 after seven ends. They won the eighth and ninth end before the dramatic finale.
The Northland triple beat Gavin Stringer, John Steer and Yvonne Hardman from St Andrews Club in Waikato 10-8 in the quarterfinal, before beating the Tauranga Fire Brigade Club triple of Derek Owen, Aaron Hynds and Gina Owen in the semifinal.