Down to the wire ... Poverty Bay East Coast juniors pip Tauranga at indoor bowls tournament

The Poverty Bay East Coast Under-18 team who won the Alison Cowan Trophy in Whakatāne are, back (from left): Jakeb Te Kani Brown, Kiki Casey, Sean Haskins, Sonson Casey and Malcolm Trowell (selector/manager) Front: Adam Rickard (captain), Liam Pinn, Zoe Trowell and Sophie Haskins.

The Poverty Bay East Coast Under-18 team won the Alison Cowan Trophy against Tauranga and Bay of Plenty in a hard-fought day of bowls in Whakatāne.

The crew of captain Adam Rickard, Liam Pinn, Zoe Trowell, Sophie Haskins, Sean Haskins, Sonson Casey, Jakeb Te Kani Brown and Kiki Casey finished the eight rounds locked with Tauranga, but claimed the trophy due to a superior number of ends won.

With four points gained for each pairs win and two for every singles success, the PBEC team started the day well.

After their early-morning travel, PBEC recorded two wins and a draw in their round 1 fours games, followed by six wins out of eight singles clashes in round 2.

Three wins in the round 3 pairs, followed by five wins in the next round of singles put them on 44 points going into the lunch break.

However, Tauranga were also playing great bowls to also be on 44.

It was all on in afternoon play.

PBEC managed only two wins from their four pairs games in round 5 and four out of eight in the round 6 singles to fall eight points behind a Tauranga team who were consistently rearranged.

PBEC selector and manager Malcolm Trowell must have said the right words to pick his team up.

They won all four pairs games in round 7 to jump to a 76-72 lead as Tauranga managed only one victory.

In the last round, Tauranga stormed back with six wins and a draw while PBEC had four wins and a draw.

That put both teams on 85 and it came down to a countback of ends won over the day. PBEC won 444 to Tauranga’s 429.

Bay Of Plenty, fielding eight new bowlers, gained good experience from the competition and finished on 22 points for the day.