CLARENCE RIVER DISTRICT WOMENS BOWLS ASSOCIATION

Clarence River District State Senior Fours and Open Fours Championships were played at Grafton District Services Club over four days with semi finals and finals on Tuesday, July 12.

The Senior Fours semi-finals were played between two Grafton Services teams and two Yamba teams. Fortune favoured the Grafton Services team of Jo Pugh, Dawn Lawson , Annette Williams and Bev Murray against the Yamba team of Helen Scott, Pam Conley, Judy Pryor and Joan Scadden with excellent bowling from both teams. Bev's team led 12-4 on the 10th end. However Joan's team fought back with the final score 20-11 in Bev's favour. The other semi-final was a hard fought match with the Grafton Services team of Julie McWaters, Meryl Buckley, Alma Bowling and Lorraine Demmery leading 24-21 on the 17th end and finishing with a flourish to take the match 30-24 to set up a final between the two Grafton District Services teams.

The first Open Fours semi final was between Grafton District Services team of Mary Elliott, Margaret Toovey, Dawn Rapley and Norma Mawhirt and Yamba's Catherine Aitchison, Judy Abbott, Robyn MacPherson and Marge Thompson. A hard fought match with excellent bowling from both teams with the score 9-8 on the 8th end, 15-12 on the 13th and 19-17 on the 18th with the match going to Marge Thompson's team 21-18.

The second semi-final was between the two Maclean teams of Judy Parks, Cheryl Johnson, Coral Shannon and Sandra Ferro against Lea Rae, Merle Ryan, Carolyn Byrum and Jane Hannah with the first half of the game evenly matched, 13-all after 13, when Jane's team found their rhythm and skipped away to take the match 27-15.

Both finals were played after lunch. In the Open Fours Jane Hannah's team got off to a flying start to lead 16-6 on the 13th end when Marge's Team staged a late comeback to create a nail biting finish, with Jane prevailing 20-15.

The Senior Fours final started with both teams competing for the lead with Lorraine leading 9-7 on the 7th end and Bev leading 14-13 on the 12th end, when the green changed and Bev's team gained control to win 30-14.

Congratulations to Jane Hannah and her team on winning the Open Fours and to Bev Murray and her team on winning the Senior Fours for the second year. Both teams will now play in the Regional Play Offs at a Northern Rivers District venue to be announced.

SENIOR AND OPEN FOURS RESULTS

Senior semi-finals: J McWaters M Buckley A Bowling L Demmery 30 d V Terry D Gleeson M Conlan 24. J Pugh D Lawson A Williams B Murray 20 d M Sakac P Conley J Pryor J Scadden 11. Final: J Pugh D Lawson A Williams B Murray 30 d J McWaters M Buckley A Bowling L Demmery 14.

Open semi-finals: L Rae M Ryan C Byrum J Hannah 27 d J Parkes C Johnson C Shannon S Ferro 15 C Aitchison J Abbott R McPherson M Thompson 21 d M Elliot M Toovey D Rapley N Mawhirt 18. Final: L Rae M Ryan C Byrum J Hannah 20 d C Aitchison J Abbott R McPherson M Thompson 15.