Bowls: Beer helps steer team to the title

A few mellow beers played a soothing role in the final act of the national championships in the men's fours yesterday.

This year's champions, Alvin Gardiner, Blake Signal, Robbie Bennett and Clint Carroll, from the Stoke Valley Bowling Club, won a gripping final against Ray Lovie, Scott Roddick, Gary Ruane and Barrie Andrews, 24-17.

The win is Gardiner's, Signal's, Bennett's and Carroll's first national championship title and Gardiner says the team were relaxed going into this morning's final after toppling Peter Belliss' four of Kevin Robinson, Steve Posa and Justin Goodwin in yesterday's semifinal 21-17.

"After we beat Belliss, we went back to the Stoke Valley Bowling Club, had a few beers and just mellowed out," said Gardiner. "I told the boys we had won nine straight games, but we were only halfway there.

"I told them if we didn't get the last game, the other nine games don't count for much."

The women's fours were won by United's Barbara McGregor, Val Smith, Dianne Potts and Dale Bourke, who edged past the formidable combination of Gale Fache, Nellie Hewson, Loralie Hawkes and Faye George, coming from behind to take the title 19-14.

Skip McGregor enjoyed her first national title too: "Val has been awesome, Dale was really consistent from the front and Dianne played some big bowls when she had to."