BEGA now has a lawn bowling champion of champions.
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Recently crowned Bega club champion Howard Blacker took on the lucrative invitational event and faced a challenging draw.
The event is played out by the eight club champions across the district clubs.
The competition runs in the regular first to 31 shots format, but is played in a sudden death showdown.
Blacker bested Mallacoota’s David Vell in the opening round, before defeating Peter McBen from Candelo in the afternoon.
At the other side of the draw, Tathra’s John Chalker had made his way through the opening two rounds to set up a Bega-Tathra final round.
“I knew that Chalker was the best bowler in the thing,” Blacker said
“He’s a zone representative and skips for the fours.”
Blacker opened up an early lead, but Chalker is an experienced bowler and quickly closed the gap.
The duo then traded shots and were level right up until 26-26.
It was a tense few ends for the Bega bowler as Chalker repeatedly lined up a number of shot bowls.
However, Blacker was able to keep himself in the count with “on-shots”, scattering his opponents bowls.
“They are risk plays, if I don’t hit anything he gets the shots and it’s not something you really want to be doing, but the way it was it seemed to be the best shot for me,” Blacker said.
The Bega bowler was stunned to win the event as he didn’t remember the last time Bega took out the contest.
“I’ve been here about 14 or 15 years so I don’t know when the last one was, I was a bit surprised I won it really,” he said with a laugh.
Blacker also commended Chalker’s efforts and said the final was played in a good spirit, with the pair sharing a bit of humour during the match.
He said there is always a bit of friendly rivalry between Tathra and Bega on the greens.
The success has also seen Blacker added to the zone side to bowl alongside Chalker.
Blacker said the growing strength of bowlers in the Bega club had helped him develop, particularly Ken Snowdon.
“Snowy when he plays keeps me at my best,” Blacker said.
Snowdon was the narrow runner-up to Blacker in the Bega championship recently.