Teenager makes strong comeback to bowls
DECADES ago, when Phillip and Iris Finestone joined Stella Park Bowling Club little did they know they would be laying the foundations for a family tradition. Their son and daughter-inlaw, Allen and Felicity Finestone, took up the challenge to master the bias and soon became successful competitive lawn bowlers.
Spending many hours playing on the banks surrounding bowling greens, Phillip and Iris’s grandson, Travis, slowly picked up the essentials of the game and the 11-year-old began his competitive bowling career.
As a scholar at Glenwood Boys’ High, Travis, 14, found the demands
of high school were clashing with his time on the green and in 2019 he temporarily packed his bowls away to concentrate on his scholastic career.
Up to that point he had represented Port Natal Bowls in the U15 South African Bowls Nationals in Bloemfontein
and was selected as one of the elite group of 12 juniors to participate in the inaugural Port Natal Bowls Junior Masters Championship.
At the end of 2021, having developed a time-management system allowing him time away from his studies, Travis decided it was time to continue the Finestone custom and dusted off his bowls to involve himself in the game again.
And, what a comeback 16-year old Travis Finestone has made. In January 2022 he entered the Port Natal Bowls Pro10 Championship with Stella Park club mate, Michael Barker. They went through the round robin play to emerge victors in the section and reached the knockout rounds where they took out many recognised names to reach the final against seasoned competitors, Ian Oehley and Matthew Riggien from Hillary Bowling Club.
They ended their quest as silver medalists, a notable achievement in the demanding format presented by the Pro10 format.
In April Travis entered the Port Natal Open Singles Championship and was one of the top 16 district bowlers, losing against Rene de Reland from Westville Bowling Club in their battle for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Questioned on what he would like to see in future for lawn bowls
Finestone expressed the desire for schools to recognise lawn bowls as a sport.
“Lawn bowls is such a unique sport and it requires tactical thinking and skill to master the game. There are many pupils who do not achieve at the recognised sports like rugby, cricket and hockey, but would have an opportunity to develop into highly competitive lawn bowlers if schools would acknowledge its merits,” he explained.
Recognising young Finestone’s proficiency, the Port Natal selectors have named him as one of the 12 Junior Masters to compete in the 2022 PNB Junior Masters Championship in June.
The full list of selected junior masters is Awongiwe Somtseu (Durban Wanderers BC), Talia Russon, Lizette Lombard, Matthew Riggien (all Hillary BC), Jonothan Hammond (Lahee Park BC), Gareth Bashford, Jarred Bauristhene, Travis Finestone, Tayla Pearce (all Stella Park BC), Yolande Victor (Umhlanga BC) and Brad Claassens and Troy Garland (both Wentworth BC).