Bowls: Mat Blacks captain L'Ami is one of the greats

Grant L'Ami from Tauranga won the Lion Foundation National Indoor Bowls Championship singles at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre on Monday.

The 38-year-old from the South City Club was the inspirational Mat Blacks captain when New Zealand beat Australia recently. This was his eighth title, the most any player has won in indoor bowls history.

He is also the first player to have won all four disciplines of singles, pairs (2002), triples (1999 and 2012) and fours (1994, 1998, 2002, 2011).

In the final over 12 ends, he defeated Barry Clement from Papamoa Sports Club, Tauranga, 10-5. The final was an absorbing and exciting affair with the score 3-1 after four ends. On the fourth end, L'Ami was holding three shots when Clement ran at the head and forced the jack to the end of the mat to hold two shots.

L'Ami tried to draw the shot but killed the jack to level at 3-3.

L'Ami scored singles on the next two ends.

A feature of the match were the close heads with L'Ami having a shot marginally closer to the jack. On the eighth end, Clement drew level again when, with his last bowl, he wicked off a bowl to move the jack and score two shots 5-5. However, that was to be the end of his scoring as L'Ami scored three singles and a two to run out the winner 10-5.

In the semifinals, L'Ami defeated Mike Sackfield, Manawatu, in another tight encounter 12-7 while Clement defeated Greg Williams, Waikato, 16-6.

The quarterfinals saw Williams beat Marcus Trlin, Hutt Valley, 12-9, Clement beat Robin Simmons, Tauranga, 12-5, Sackfield beat Ray Wyatt, Auckland, 10-3 and L'Ami beat Bevan Coleman, Tauranga, 10-4.

Defending champion Joseph Zino, Hutt Valley, was eliminated in the last 64 by Alister Wilson, North Taranaki, 8-7.

One of the pre-tournament favourites, Ashley Diamond, Southland, was put out by Tauranga's Willie Rudolph, 10-6 in the last 64 who was then put out by Giovanni Persico, Nelson, 11-8.

Bay of Plenty's Mike Bryant from the Westbrook Club reached the last 16 where he lost to Ray Wyatt, Auckland, 8-7 in a close encounter. He was 5-0 down before he scored but he came back strongly to trail 5-8 going into the final end. On this end he could only score two shots.

The Truth Cup which is awarded to the woman who progresses the furthest in the singles was won by Sue Bourne, from the Cardiff Club, north Taranaki.

The Cliff Thompson Trophy for the best junior player under 18 was won by Amber McNally from the Tauwhare Club, Waikato.

The Kath and Sen Smith Trophy for the best player over the age of 60 went to Murray Fraser, Garden City-Linwood Club, Canterbury. He won a play-off against Bill Webster, North Taranaki 8-6.

Post section play in the pairs follows.