A field of 7 teams lined up on Saturday, 19th September to contest the Men’s Balloted Triples for the 2026-27 season. Teams needed 2 games out of 3 to qualify. Because of the odd number of teams a bye was unavoidable. The weather was cold and dry. The wind, however, made shots tricky as it was blustery and quite strong. There were some close games in the qualifying round with some teams only having a margin of 1–2 shots at the end of their game. It was great to see some of our newer players participating and being supported by senior members.
After the qualifying round 4 teams progressed to the semi-finals, held on Sunday the 20th. In the semi finals Duncan Mann’s team (Brian Hoy and Brett Connell) played consistent bowls to overcome Laurie Field’s team (Norman Annand and Steve Tustin) in a result that was the opposite of Saturday’s game.
In the second semi-final Mike Ansell’s team (Dave Grigg and Brian Thompson) played against Grahame Law’s team (Keven Bray and Arnold Taiaroa). Their ability to draw consistently to the jack meant Grahame’s team needed to score a 6 on the final end to take the game. They didn’t quite manage this but did pick up a 1 making the final score 10-5.
The final was played between Duncan Mann’s team (Brian Hoy and Brett Connell) and Mike Ansell’s team (Dave Grigg and Brian Thompson) in sunny and warm conditions. This was a hotly contested game with teams going ahead and then being caught up. In the 7th end it was a draw with 7 points each. Mike’s team then won the next two ends to get to 10 leaving Duncan trailing. Scoring 5 in the 10th end though helped them get ahead by 2. Playing steady and consistent bowls enabled them to hold onto the lead and take the game 13-11.
Congratulations to the finalists:
- Winners: Duncan Mann, Brian Hoy and Brett Connell
- Runners Up: Mike Ansell, Dave Grigg and Brian Thompson
