Cliff-hanger finish

Dave Scrivener and his composite Levin four had to come from behind to win the Palmerston North Goldies Oldies tournament yesterday.

Former Palmerston North bowler Mike Prasad, now playing for Hutt Bowling Club, had looked a certainty to win the tournament for those over 60, having won all four of his games in the final round, with one remaining.

There were also seven teams level on three wins going into the final game.

But Scrivener, Paul Selby, Roy Dickson and Bill Cleland gave Prasad’s four a 21-9 thrashing in the last game to give them a better differential than Prasad’s and win the title.

They had earlier in the day knocked over Hawke’s Bay’s Ces Bell, who won the Taranaki fours competition this year.

‘‘We had to win those two to get in,’’ Scrivener said. ‘‘Up until then we’d won seven out of nine.’’

Scrivener’s four had four wins and a loss in the final round of the top section, with their only loss coming against Levin’s Arnie Janssen.

With their healthy points differential, Scrivener’s team came out on top.

Scrivener used to play out of Levin, but has shifted to Wanganui and now plays for Aramoho.

It is his fifth year coming to the popular tournament, and all four of them are over 60, but Cleland is north of 70.

They were full of praise for the greens and said the reason they come back every year is because they enjoy playing bowls.

The four of them were also runnersup at the Kapiti Coast fours tournament earlier this season.

Bell finished second on points differential of 47 and Mark Stevenson was third with a differential of 27, while Prasad faded with his differential of 23.