Former Hong Kong No.1 bowler Noel Kennedy won his first national title in five years, after partnering with current Hong Kong top bowler Ken Chan to capture the Hong Kong National Men’s Pairs Lawn Bowls trophy on Sunday, Feb 23.
The Kowloon Cricket Club duo, who partnered to win the same title seven years ago, played against Marshall To and former Hong Kong international David Tso in the pairs Final.
The score was pretty even after three ends, when Kennedy is leading by 4:2. A defining moment came in the fourth end—Tso was holding five shots after he played all his bowls; then Kennedy struck, trailing the jack into the ditch with his last bowl to win four shots.
After that the shot difference quickly opened up and Tso never recovered. The game finished 21:10.
Kennedy attributes the success to his partner.
“I haven’t been playing with my old partner Ken for five or six years and he gave great support throughout. We play well as a team and didn’t really give our opponents a chance.
“We both [partners] started quite well, but it seems that David is struggling a bit. When they come into the game our confidence was up by then and we are able to get the bowl to the head when needed.
“In couple of ends we lost three or four, but I could cut it down to one so once we have the lead,” said Kennedy.
For Chan it is his second Pairs title in three years and third overall. In 2011 he partnered with Jerry Ng to win the title.
HKFC dominate Finals Day
In the Women’s Pairs Final, Eva Hui and Esther Yu from Shatin Sports Association won their first-ever national title. The pair defeated Phyllis Wong and Camilla Leung from the Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) 16:12 in a tightly competed Final.
This loss does not alter the fact that HKFC was the biggest winner in the Finals Day. They won the Men’s and Women’s Fours, as well as the Mixed Pairs in the afternoon session of the Finals Day.
Other winners on the day were: United Services Recreation Club (Gilbert Lau) in the Men’s Novice Singles; The Association of H.K. Yunnan Fellow Provincials (Liu Wai Ying) in the Women’s Novice Singles; and Tuen Mun Sports Association in the Mixed Triples.
Played at United Service Recreation Club, this is the last of the two Finals Day organised by the Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association this year, which group together the finals of all major lawn bowls competitions in one venue to attract more spectators.
Claudius Lam is an Officer with the Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association.
Friends Read Free