An injured Elana Scott teamed up with mentor Neville Richardson to make it through to the grand final on Sunday where they took on Stanthorpe’s Frank Taylor and Joan Potter, who had already held the pairs crown two years running. The Tenterfield team was ahead 19-18 when Taylor sent down the last bowl of the grand final and scored two points, putting the incumbents ahead 20-19.

Scott, a relative novice, had a poor preparation in the lead-up to the competition, having injured her arm throwing snowballs at Stanthorpe’s recent Snowflake festival. She needed a week off and had little practice, Richardson said, but persevered and nearly came away with the ultimate underdog story.

While prior to the weekend Richardson didn’t rate Tenterfield bowlers’ chances too highly given the high standard of the competition, locals were well-presented in the finals. The heats on Saturday tested the competitors’ endurance with bitterly-cold, windy conditions. 

The section winners moving onto the knockout finals on Sunday were Richardson and Scott (Tenterfield), Taylor and Potter (Stanthorpe), Ray Harris and June Stockwell (Tenterfield), and Katie Graham and Garry Farmer (Tenterfield and Warwick East).

Richardson and Scott beat Harris and Stockwell 25-13 to progress to the grand final, while Taylor and Potter defeated Graham and Farmer 25-18. Richardson said the semi-final games were much closer than the scores indicate, and he couldn’t believe how close the grand final was, and how far he and Scott progressed.

“It was a great game. After 21 ends, it all came down to the last bowl.

“This exceeded all our goals. You can’t be unhappy that we got so far.”

Richardson said Scott’s fellow lady bowlers were out in support for the match, and fortunately she didn’t suffer any further injury and she is now enjoying a well-earned rest.

The competition was well-attended with 16 teams competing, and the greens were running well.

“Bowls was the winner on the day,” Richardson said.