Mutlow flies Zululand flag high

LAST weekend did not get off to the most auspicious of starts when Brian Edwards of Country Club had to withdraw from the Champion of Champions tournament when he was suddenly taken ill.

Brian remains in hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

In the tournament itself, Zululands bowlers once again flew the flag with pride and continued to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Barry Mutlow (Richards Bay), having fought his way through the knockout stages, went on to beat N Mlambo (Estcourt) 21-13 to book his place in the final where he was to meet B van Vreden (Piet Retief).

Van Vreden had qualified by beating V Singh (Klipbank) 21-16.

For eleven ends, the final was a nip and tuck affair, with Mutlow leading by a single shot (9-8).

Over the next five ends, however, Mutlow stepped up a gear to score 11 unanswered shots to jump into a commanding 20-8 lead.

Three ends later, Mutlow scored the single shot needed to take the game and with it the title (21-12).

Narrow loss
In the women’s section, Essel Schoeman (Richards Bay) was somewhat unfortunate when she lost her semi-final against A Howe (Newcastle) by a single shot (21-20) and Helene de Wet (Country Club) suffered a similar fate when she was beaten 21-16 in the second semi-final by A du Preez of Harrismith.

The final was a strange affair with Howe, after being 3-11 down after ten ends, coming back strongly to concede only two shots over the next 15 ends and win going away 21-13.

Today, Richards Bay will host its annual Dr De Lange sponsored day.

It was with great sadness that news was received of the passing of Esmé Rattray who died last week.

Esme was a long-standing member of Country Club Bowls and she will be sorely missed by her many friends.

Our sincere condolences are extended to her family and friends.

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