Auckland’s Matt Berry (Pringle Park) claimed the national title following a dream day during which he won four matches, including the final in which he met Dunedin Black Jack Keanu Darby (Forbury Park).
The 38-year-old Berry remained calm throughout the finals, despite his previous highest achievements being club titles.
"It feels surreal. I only just qualified for the event and then I put this shirt on and I haven’t lost a game since,’’ Berry told New Zealand Bowls.
"I’m happy and surprised. I knew I had it in me, so I just gave it a crack and came out on top."
The final was a nail-biting match which lasted for more than two hours at the Browns Bay Bowling Club.
There was little separating the pair, the lead changing hands several times as both bowlers put their skills on display.
Berry was slightly more consistent with his bowls, eventually getting the better of Darby for a 21-17 victory.
In the women's pairs final, the competition was equally fierce.
Auckland’s Olivia Bloomfield and Lisa Prideaux took on the young pairing of Ashleigh Jeffcoat and Henrietta Scott.
Bloomfield and Prideaux were clinical from the outset to take a 5-0 lead, but Jeffcoat and Scott refused to back down and some disciplined bowling enabled them to take the lead.
The match produced a thrilling finale with the score tied at 13-13 going into the 17th end.
Ultimately, the experience of the Auckland pairing set them apart, the duo eking out a 14-13 win.
"That was a really tense match. Ashleigh and Henrietta played really well," Bloomfield said.
"Luckily Lisa led from the front and I just had to tidy up from the back."
The championship win means Prideaux now holds three open women’s pairs titles, following her wins partnering Val Smith in 2019 and 2021.
"The young ones played really well and we just had a bit of luck and some bowls in the right positions," Prideaux said.
"This win ranks right up there. It’s been a great few days of action."
The day began with the open disability pairs final in which Kurt Smith and Teri Blackbourn took on Graham Skellern and Chen Naude.
Smith and Blackbourn started strongly, amassing five points in the first end. They followed up with a four-point end to lead 9-1.
Skellern and Naude then found their rhythm and tried to work their way back into the match but the early deficit was simply too great to overcome, Smith (Paratutu) and Blackbourn (Claudelands) winning the title 26-15.
— APL
