OSPREYS COME FROM BEHIND TO CLAIM TITLE
TWEED Heads Ospreys have won their first Premier League Queensland title after defeating the Helensvale Hawks by 12 shots in the grand final.
After trailing 25-31 and 33-39, the Ospreys hit their straps with some sublime conversions by skips Kurt Brown and Wayne Turley.
They drew level at 40-all after 42 ends of 63 and then kept powering to go out to a 48-41 lead.
At 54-45 a late surge by the Hawks reduced the gap to 57-50. They then held six shots until it was destroyed by Brown, who killed the end to claim three shots, putting an end to the Hawks’ hopes of defending their title. Ospreys prevailed 65-53. Brown was trailing 6-9 against the Hawks’ Matthew Lucas before piling on 17 unanswered shots to lead 23-9 after 14 ends.
They then traded shots with the final score of 29-15 to Brown.
Turley started well against the league’s best-performed skip Aron Sherriff, leading 9-3 after six ends.
Sherriff’s rink hit their straps to lead 10-9 and then 12-11 before a counterattack from Turley’s rink gave them back the control at 20-13. Turley prevailed to win 22-16.
The Hawks’ Nathan Rice went out to an early lead against Kelvin Kerkow on the third rink and maintained the pressure to win 22-14.
The Ospreys overcame the Broadbeach Bulls earlier in the preliminary final. After leading by more than 20, they survived a late charge by the Bulls to seal a spot in the final.
In reserve grade, the Helensvale Hawks dominated Enoggera Eagles in the final by 42 shots to win their ninth title. The Hawks also defeated Broadbeach in the preliminary final.
■ GOLD Coast Tweed State District Mixed Pairs play-offs are down to semi-finals this Friday at Club Musgrave.
Emma Boyd and Dean McWhinney will take on Pam Fantini and Matt Bell in one semi while Julie Keegan and Kurt Brown will challenge Vicki Day and Dennis McDonald in the other semi. The final is in the afternoon.
■ THE Summer Nines finals series will be held at Mudgeeraba this weekend.
■ THE first round of the Ultimate Bowls Championship in for Melbourne next month has been postponed due to coronavirus. Meetings will be held this week regarding the World Bowls Championships scheduled to be held on the Gold Coast in May-June.