Lifelong Mates Unite To Bring Fours Title To Club

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday May 7, 2008

John Gilmour ON THE KITTY

ANDREW Smith and Jay Walls starting playing bowls together at Lambton in late 1992 when they were only 12 years old.

They are back together this season and on Sunday were members of the first Lambton quartet to claim a Newcastle district fours championship in the club's 97-year history.

With Wayne Smith playing lead and Craig Thompson second, the Lambton team led throughout to beat Nicholas Hughes, Scott Kohler, Bruce Jewell and Ian Lean from Raymond Terrace 18-14 in the final.

The Lambton side are unbeaten in 12 matches since joining forces at the start of the year.

"We won five matches in winning the Lambton fours championship, and now seven games to take out the district title," Andrew Smith said.

"And we have never had any more than 14 shots scored against us in any of those victories.

"This is definitely the biggest win of my career, and I feel the other guys would say the same as well."

Walls and Andrew Smith were members of the successful team that claimed the Lambton triples championship in 1993, less that 12 months after both started playing the game.

"Although we grew up together, our bowls careers had drifted apart until I returned to Lambton after Waratah closed their doors in August," Andrew Smith said.

"Wayne Smith also moved from Waratah, while Craig Thompson, who was set to join Waratah from Soldiers Point, also followed us to Lambton."

The Lambton line-up proved themselves giant-killers on their road to the title.

They beat defending champions Peter Redman, Greg John, David "Charlie" Collins and Neil Dell (Toronto Workers) comfortably in the opening round.

Then they accounted for a Swansea side featuring No.1 grade skippers Scott Baus, Matthew Baus and Michael Abel, and a Soldiers Point team comprising NSW representative Jason Pietraszek and NSW seniors representative Neville Downes.

Next they downed the Alder Park quartet of Gavin Kelly, David Evans and Ross and Martin Ball who have all skipped in top grade this season in the semi-finals.

In the final the Lambton combination scored three shots on the 13th end to open up an 11-7 lead, which they extended to 17-8 with fours ends to play.

Raymond Terrace won the next three ends, including picking up four shots on the 20th, to trail 17-14.

Lean's side came from 9-6 down in their semi-final played on Sunday morning to beat the Beresfield combination of Michael Brent, Tony Stephenson, Robert Brannan and Mick Beesley, 26-9.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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