Men’s Pairs Trophy Staying in York
York’s Haydn Smith and Phil Jones have become the first all York team to win a state event taking out the Dyenamic Men’s State Pairs on Saturday.
They take over from Haydn’s sons and fellow York products Aaron and Nathan who were classed as a composite team due to Nathan’s membership at Bassendean.
They defeated Wanneroo’s in-form pair of Steve Fewster and Peter Flack fresh off finishing equal third in the state triples.
The final was played in tough, blustery conditions at Osborne Park but the players adjusted well to put on a high quality show for spectators both at the venue and watching via Facebook live stream.
The York boys had the better of the first part of the winning seven of the first nine ends.
They were primarily scoring ones and twos but a three on the ninth gave them something of a buffer at 11-6.
Fewster and Flack were still in the hunt though, mostly thanks to a four which gave them a decent score.
Over the next few ends the Roos started to work themselves into the game by scoring another four followed by a double two ends later.
Smith and Jones were still doing enough to maintain their slender advantage with solid draw play a highlight of their game to that point.
With four ends to go the Wanneroo lads began to really threaten for the first time in the game,
They scored three consecutive singles to trail 16-15 heading into the last end.
York were in the not disastrous position of just needing to win the end with last bowl but were perhaps in a worse position than they thought they might be an hour earlier.
They held shot for most of the end, albeit with plenty of room, until Fewster drew shot a foot and a half short with his last bowl to potentially force an extra end.
Smith stepped up with the last bowl in his hand needing to draw shot to clinch the title and draw shot he did.
No York player had ever won a men’s or women’s state event until 12 months ago and now the Dyenamic Men’s State Pairs trophy will reside in York for back to back years.
It caps off an amazing year, to the day, for the Smith Family with Haydn (father), Nathan and Aaron (sons) winning state pairs titles, Justin (son) winning the Country Week Singles, Sian (mother) making the women’s state squad and Emma (daughter) making the WA under 18’s team.
A replay of the final and photos can be found on Bowls WA Facebook Page
