Indoor Bowls: Tauranga bowler secures second national title in two weeks

Tauranga's Paul Smith is proving his skills having won two national indoor bowls titles in two weeks.

The latest was winning the national final of the New Zealand Indoor Bowls Henselite Champion of Champions Singles at the Canterbury Indoor Bowls Association Hall in Christchurch on Saturday. This followed the New Zealand Mat Black member leading the winning team at the national final of the New Zealand Mixed Fours competition.

The latest two accolades brings his tally of national titles to six. He has two National Championship titles, the Triples in 2016 and Fours in 2018 and three Mixed Fours titles 2014, 2017 and 2019. It also adds to a successful 2019, which has seen him take runners-up in the Open Singles at the nationals this year.

In the final he defeated another Mat Black, Gary Low, Southland 13-6.

The final saw Low holding three shots on the first end of the 12 end final when Smith ran at the head and moved the jack to go from three down to two up to lead 2-0. Low came back on the next two ends to score two singles to draw level 2-2 after three ends. They then traded two shots each on the next two ends to be four all after five ends. Smith then took control to score 1, 2, 3, 2 on the next four ends to lead 12-4. Low scored two shots on the tenth end to narrow the gap to 6-12 but a single to Smith on the eleventh end saw Low concede the match.

In the semifinals Low defeated Mark Ridley from North Taranaki 10-8 while Low defeated Grant Wilson, Ashburton 11-5.

The plate event was won by Bruce Meyer from Manawatu who defeated Cameron McKay, Manawatu 12-9 in the final.

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