Fourth Poverty Bay East Coast centre title in a row for Foster

Kaye Easton and grandson Matthew Foster won the Poverty Bay East Coast indoor bowls centre mixed pairs title. They were men's and women's pairs victors the previous weekend.

Matthew Foster has continued his winning roll on the mats, combining with grandmother Kaye Easton to win the Poverty Bay East Coast indoor bowls centre mixed pairs last weekend.

The Foster-Easton combo defeated brother and sister Adam and Rachael Rickard 12-4 in the final at the Cossie Club on Sunday.

It followed title-winning performances from both the previous weekend in the men’s and women’s centre pairs.

Eleven teams took part in the Carpet Court mixed pairs and by the end of the preliminary rounds, four teams qualified for post-section play.

Six of those eight bowlers were under 22, reflecting the depth and strength of Poverty Bay East Coast’s young brigade.

Both semifinals were closely contested.

The first semi pitted 21-year-old Foster and Easton against Malcolm Trowell and 13-year-old Sophie Haskins.

Trowell and Haskins were 9-6 down heading into the last end. Needing three shots to force an extra end, they fell just short and lost 9-8.

In the other semifinal, cousins Dylan Foster (19) and Kayla Trowell (18) faced off with Adam (15) and Rachael Richard (20).

The Richards led 7-6 after eight ends and managed to hold shot on the last for an 8-6 win.

The siblings started strongly in the final to lead 4-1 after four ends. However, Foster and Easton began to exert pressure in the fifth end and forced Adam to kill the kitty, levelling the score 4-all.

Consistent lead bowls from Easton, combined with Foster’s accuracy, saw them edge ahead 5-4 on the sixth end, and they built on that lead over the remaining ends.

It was the 19th centre title for Foster and took Easton’s total to 53.