Sport
13 February, 2023
Champion of Champions decided for 2023
The Goldfields Champion of Champions have been elected in lawn bowls for 2023, with Talbot’s Matthew Vernon and Highland’s Leanne Wallis taking out the respective men’s and women’s titles at Avoca Country Golf Bowls Club on Sunday morning...
The Goldfields Champion of Champions have been elected in lawn bowls for 2023, with Talbot’s Matthew Vernon and Highland’s Leanne Wallis taking out the respective men’s and women’s titles at Avoca Country Golf Bowls Club on Sunday morning.
Both games were a repeat of the state singles finals that were played in January, with Vernon coming up against Newstead’s Bill Burnett, while Wallis played off against Talbot’s Barb Crossley for the women’s title.
Vernon recovered from a slow start which saw him fall 8-6 behind to eventually record a 25-15 victory in 25 ends.
Some excellent bowling from Vernon allowed him to turn the tide during the game which meant that he was able to record a much more comfortable victory, having needed all his skill in the state singles final to defeat the experienced Burnett 25-24 on that occasion.
In the women’s Champion of Champions final, Wallis started off with an outstanding display of bowling which saw her establish a 9-0 lead after just four ends, and despite Crossley making a solid fightback to record 14 shots, it proved to be Wallis’ day, eventually recording a 25-14 victory — almost a mirror image of their state singles championship battle, which Wallis won on that occasion 25-15.
The result for both Vernon and Wallis gives them both enormous confidence ahead of their respective Saturday pennant finals, which begin next week — with Vernon looking to help second-placed Talbot Gold take the division one title, while Wallis will look to help give Highland White the title in division two.
