Heat on as Scott secures seventh centre title
BOWLS
FORMER Blackjack squad member Sarah Scott (North East Valley) soaked up the pressure of a tight final to win the Dunedin Centre women's open singles title at the Outram Bowling Club on Sunday.
Scott (37) a fisheries officer, was made to work hard for every point against club mate Hilda Bennett, in what was an all North East Valley final.
The two went shot for shot over the first 14 ends in the race to score 21. But with the score tied on 1111, the 15th end proved a turning point.
With Bennett holding two shots, Scott placed a superb draw shot with her final bowl to score four and then score two on each of the following ends to leap out to a 1911 lead and change the complexion of the game.
Bennett managed to fight back with two shots on the 18th end, only for Scott to hit back on the 19th and secure the match to claim her seventh centre title.
The four rounds of post section play were dominated by North East Valley Club players with four of its representatives progressing through to quarterfinal play and three in the semifinals, giving witness to some classic encounters, none more so than in Scott's round of 16 encounter with Dale Bourke (Taieri).
Trailing 1920, and down two shots on the final end Scott cleared the deck to kill the end. She then drew shot in the replay of the end to progress through to quarterfinal play. The scare perhaps serving as motivation with convincing victories in the two rounds to the final.
On the other side of the draw, Bennett was proving unstoppable in her progress, but was made to dig deep in her semifinal match against club mate Bronwyn Stevens in which she secured a place in the final with a hardfought 2118 victory.
Both Scott and Bennett were worthy finalists in a day of post section play that gave credit to their powers of concentration as much as their skill at drawing shot. In four rounds both players averaged 20 ends a game, delivering some 80 shots in each game for an estimated total of 320 for the day.
“It was a tough day all round,” Bennett said afterwards of not only the heat of competition but the green side temperature of 28degC.
“It was hard, but I just had to back myself and give myself some confidence. Sarah is a good opponent and a seasoned champion.”
Scott was relieved to have come away in the final stages of the final.
“It was pretty tight all round. I couldn't take my foot off the pedal really. I got that four. I was actually trying to sit the bowl out, but it went a bit tight. Luckily enough it hit the jack in the right place to get the four,” Scott said.
Scott turns her attention to representing the Dunedin Centre in the Southern Zone 6 tournament in Timaru at the weekend, in which she is skipping the pairs. This will be followed up with club qualifying tournaments and Bowls Dunedin Triples.
The date final of the men's open singles between Elliot Mason (Forbury Park) and Keanu Darby (North East Valley), is to be confirmed.