2024 Mixed Pairs

Congratulations to Mandy Stitt and Dave Paul on making it a back-to-back win on taking out this year’s Mixed Pairs title after an exciting competition between the defending champions and their challengers, Gordon and Kathy Elliot.

Often, finals are a bit of an anti-climax, compared to the games that lead up to them, but this one was, in racing terms, a head bobbing finish. Gordon and Kathy led for most of the game, but never by much; the biggest margin in the game was four, and that was for one end only. No score was safe until the last bowl was bowled, and all players pulled off great draw shots and finely delivered conversions. I don’t believe the score on any end was higher than three, but many were single shots. In the last few ends, the defending champions took the lead, but their challengers soon responded. After the twentieth end, the score was 16-16. This was a tense end, going away from the clubhouse, and at the final changeover, Gordon and Kathy held two shots, but with room between the kitty and the jack. But there were four more bowls to be played, more movement of the jack, and in the end Dave and Mandy took the win 18-16.  This was a magnificent game, a worthy final. Congratulations to Dave and Mandy, who took the win, but also to Gordon and Kathy, who were gallant in defeat.