Leigh Park lift Rowland Cup and deny Southsea Waverley the treble

Leigh Park captain Peter Robinson receives the Rowland Cup from Portsmouth & District Bowls Association president Ken GrahamLeigh Park captain Peter Robinson receives the Rowland Cup from Portsmouth & District Bowls Association president Ken Graham
Leigh Park captain Peter Robinson receives the Rowland Cup from Portsmouth & District Bowls Association president Ken Graham
Leigh Park denied Southsea Waverley the treble with a dramatic win in the Rowland Cup by one shot.

The finale was tense as the match went down to the final bowl.

Portsmouth & District League division one champions Waverley, who also won the county club trophy this summer, made a fast start in their pursuit of a third prize.

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After five ends they were nine shots ahead and they maintained that at the halfway point in the match.

By the 15th end the lead had been cut to seven shots.

A number of the matches were in the balance at this stage.

Both Matt Marchant and Gary Starks won their rinks by two shots.

Peter Robinson fought back from 8-1 down to win his rink by 11 shots against John Biggs so that put Leigh Park ahead.

At this stage Mark Hammond's rink for Waverley led by 12 shots in a tactical battle against Dave Vintin.

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They were four ends behind the others so it was now all to play for. 

At that point Dave Vintin began bowling out of his skin by putting in telling woods on ends 18 to 20 which meant Leigh Park were up by two shots overall.

He did it again on the 21st end when, having to bowl his last wood, he was four down in the head.

However, his final bowl trailed the jack back towards his team-mates' waiting woods only to see it bounce off one of the Leigh Park bowls to rebound to the covering bowl Mark Hammond had delivered with his first wood.

However, Hammond then needed to get second shot with his final bowl to force the extra end.

But his only hope lay in bowling on a tricky hand which he couldn't quite achieve.

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