Nathan Trowell makes history winning the PBEC NZ Henselite Singles

YOUNGEST WINNER: Nathan Trowell made history by being the youngest bowler, at 13, to win the Poverty Bay-East Coast final of the New Zealand Henselite Singles indoor bowls tournament. He won an all-expenses-paid trip to Palmerston North for the NZ Henselite singles finals in September. Picture by Liam Clayton

THIRTEEN-year-old Gisborne Boys’ High School student Nathan Trowell made history by being the youngest bowler in the Poverty Bay-East Coast region to win the local final of the NZ Henselite Singles indoor bowls tournament.

Trowell, also a classy young cricketer and footballer, dominated his first two opponents. He beat multiple Poverty Bay-East Coast titleholder Bryan Pulley in the first of his four qualiying games, then defeated young Rachael Rickard in Game 2.

In Game 3, Nanette Treloar played great bowls to beat Trowell, only for Trowell to pounce in his fourth game, defeating Molly Young.

In the nine-end semifinal, Nathan came up against his father, last year’s champion Malcolm Trowell, also a holder of multiple centre titles.

The Trowells went bowl for bowl and after nine ends, the score was 9-9, Nathan having scored two shots on the last end to draw the game.

On the deciding end, Malcolm held the shot for the win, but Nathan — with his last bowl — drew on to the kitty, pushing it back for two shots. It left his father in a very difficult position. Malcolm tried drawing for the win, but went short, and the two shook hands.

In the final, Nathan played Andrew Rickard and got out to the best of starts. Playing precise draw bowls, he went 6-0 up after three of the nine ends.

On End 4, a lapse in concentration cost Trowell, and Rickard scored four shots. But two shots on each of ends 5 and 6 took the score to 10-4 in Trowell’s favour.

On ends 7 and 8, Rickard was able to pick up one point an end, closing the score to 10-6.

On the last end, Trowell drew shot. Rickard chose to run at Trowell’s bowl but missed, his bowl going off the mat. This gave Trowell the win, and an all-expenses-paid trip to Palmerston North to contest the New Zealand Henselite singles finals in September against all the other district champions from throughout the country.

This was Nathan Trowell’s fourth centre title towards a silver star, and the way he’s bowling, that silver star is only a few games away.