Lemon Shield team put squeeze on bowls rivals

The Marlborough indoor bowls rep team returned to Blenheim on Saturday night with the coveted Lemon Shield, after getting the better of rivals from Nelson, Golden Bay and West Coast-Buller.

The Marlborough team combined superbly in Nelson to get their hands on a trophy they last won in 2021.

In a tight competition played over six rounds of six matches, Marlborough hit the front in the fifth round, going on to win the Shield with five wins in the final round and a total of 22 games won. Golden Bay finished second with 20 games, from Nelson on 18 and West Coast-Buller on 12.

The top team for the event was Lois Randall’s Marlborough combination of Ken Wells, Kiri Bond and Julian Adams, bringing home the Warnes Trophy with five wins out of six games.

The next Marlborough rep match is a new fixture against Canterbury, Nelson and Golden Bay/ Motueka which will fully test the new Lemon Shield holders. This event will be fours, pairs and singles played over three rounds on Saturday at the Simcox Stadium in Blenheim. Spectators are welcome.

This new event is a lead-up to the Inter Provincial Championship to be played in Timaru in September.

The Marlborough team comprises: Nathan Della-Bosca, Steven Grant, Tony Jones and Julian Adams. Kevin Wills, Glen Hurcomb, Judi Symington and Jill Hurcomb. Reserve Ken Wells.