Indoor bowls: Sylvia Groves wins Poverty Bay-East Coast centre title at first attempt

Opening trios winners Sean Haskins (left), Sylvia Groves and skip Warren Gibb with the trophy for the centre event. It was Groves' first time playing in a Poverty Bay-East Coast centre tournament.

Novice indoor bowler Sylvia Groves has won her maiden Poverty Bay-East Coast centre title in her first centre tournament.

Her team won the Gizzy Waste Centre opening trios, which drew the most entries in years.

Groves turned heads with some great draw bowls as lead for 15-year-old Sean Haskins and skip Warren Gibb.

They beat 13-year-old Sophie Haskins, Warren Edlin and Jay Casey 9-6 in the nine-end final.

Casey’s team led 4-2 after three ends but Gibb’s team staged a recovery.

Casey killed end four, giving away three points. Gibb’s team then picked up two points on end five to go ahead 7-4 and they didn’t let up.

Groves’ achievement of winning a centre title at the first attempt is thought to be unique in the Poverty Bay-East Coast centre.

At 15, Haskins has a huge future in the sport. He won the New Zealand Secondary Schools singles in Wellington last year and this was his second centre title.

Meanwhile, Gibb celebrated winning centre title No 23.