JACKAROOS bowlers Ben Twist and Kelsey Cottrell won the Australian Indoor Championships after four days of competition at Club Tweed.
It brought together 32 of the leading male and female indoor bowlers, including Australian Jackaroos team members who recently competed in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The championships reinforced Club Tweed’s reputation as one of the country’s premier bowls venues, with crowds and high-quality competition throughout the week culminating in two memorable finals.
Bowls Australia described the tournament as a showcase of the country’s best players, with both finals delivering the kind of tension the championships have become known for.
“These championships consistently produce some of the highest-quality indoor bowls in Australia,” an event spokesperson said.
“Both title matches went right down to the last bowl, which was a fitting finish to a fantastic week of competition.”
Twist capped off an outstanding campaign by defeating St Johns Park Bowling Club teammate Travis Moran to win his first Australian Indoor title without dropping a set during the week.
A superb draw to the ditch helped Moran win three consecutive ends and level the set, before he stormed to a 5–2 lead early in the second.
Twist rallied to draw level heading into the end.
With his father Jeff watching from the stands, Twist delivered under pressure, moving the mat forward before driving the jack into the ditch.
He then held his nerve with his remaining bowl to secure the championship and his maiden Australian Indoor crown.
In the women’s final, Cottrell added another memorable win to her Australian Indoor record with a thrilling victory over Club Merrylands’ Samantha Noronha.
Cottrell dominated the opening set 9–3, but Noronha responded strongly in the second, winning six of the nine ends to force a tiebreak.
The win marked Cottrell’s third consecutive Australian Indoor Championship and her fourth in five years.
It also moved her past Jeremy Henry’s tally of three titles, leaving only Steve Glasson, with nine, and Karen Murphy, with six, ahead of her on the all-time Australian Indoor honours list.