The finals took place over two days, five Kiwi bowlers taking on five Australians over five rounds before the best-of-three finals on Tuesday night.
For the first time since 2013 in East Cessnock, New Zealand charged to a 3-0 win in the finals.
The New Zealanders were led by Dunedin bowler Oliver Mason and Wellington’s Ray Martin, who each had four wins out of five in the preliminary rounds.
Martin held the top individual spot at the completion of his match but was overtaken by Mason, who won his last match in the third end of a tiebreaker over the previously unbeaten Sean Mawdsley.
Mason was a callup for the event as last year’s No 1, Sheldon Bagrie-Howley, was still not back from his endeavours at the World Bowls Championships in Australia.
In a rematch in the final, Mason again beat Mawdsley 7-6, 8-8.
In the battle of the second-placed finishers, Martin finished strongly against Blake Butler, winning 5-10, 9-1, 2-1, while debutante Ross Ellery beat Kyle McIlroy 9-4, 11-6.
The New Zealand team for next year’s event, to be played in September in Perth, now looks like Mason, Craig Merrilees (for a ninth successive challenge), Craig Tinker, Bagrie-Howley and Aidan Zittersteijn.
— Staff reporter
