home improvement company Waveney Windows lent its name as sponsors to the tournament for the Secretary's Shield at Bungay on Sunday. Organiser Ian Gosling had attracted 20 teams of mixed triples to the green for the day's proceedings played to a three-wood format.

home improvement company Waveney Windows lent its name as sponsors to the tournament for the Secretary's Shield at Bungay on Sunday.

Organiser Ian Gosling had attracted 20 teams of mixed triples to the green for the day's proceedings played to a three-wood format.

The first group of 10 triples started the first of their three qualifying matches in dry, but overcast conditions, but during their second round of matches the forecast rain arrived though sunny conditions prevailed by the time they started their final qualifying matches.

Perhaps due to the mixed conditions only one of the ten triples had won their opening two matches which meant eight of the remaining triples stood a chance of gaining a finals place. As the leading triple from Lowestoft Railway, David Morton, Monica Beaumont and Charlie Page, lost their final game 14-6 so shot difference decided the outcome of group with the top two separated by just a single shot. That shot belonged to the Laxfield pairing of Molly Ayres, playing with her husband Dennis and Lowestoft's Railway Bill Lyon. Runners-up and heading for the third place final were Bill's clubmates Mike Beaumont, Dave Horwood and Joyce Read.

The second qualifying group was also played in mixed conditions. Again, a Lowestoft Railway triple won both their open matches. Peter and Sue Woodgate, playing with Diane Spalding, then lost their final match. Once again shot difference determined which of the six triples with two wins would head for the finals. However, by winning their last match 23-1 the Bungay trio of Roger Bullen, Richard Brinded and Ann Swanston easily led the group by 16 shots from the Earsham triple of Sean Snowdon, Roy Laws and Julie Talbot, although they had won their opening match 23-7.

In the final for third place the Earsham triple came alive when Sean drew three shot woods on the fifth of ten ends to level the scores at five apiece. They won the next four ends, before managing a two shot deficit on the final end to take third place 11-7 against Mike Beaumont's triple.

The final was a close affair, with Molly and Roger often having the deciding shot. After seven ends, just seven shots had been scored with four of those in the favour of Roger's triple. The sequences of single shots was broken on the next end as Roger picked up two, followed by the traditional single on the penultimate end to lead 7-3. A cagey and accurate tenth end saw the cot being moved down and towards the left-hand side of the rink. Three down, and with the last wood of the end, Bill and Dennis encouraged Molly to fire the cot out of rink to force a replayed end, a feat she narrowly missed. This meant that Michael Howick of Waveney Windows presented the Secretary's Shield to Roger, Richard and Ann.

Roger Bullen's men's triple team were disappointed to hear that Lowestoft Railway beat Wenhaston in their final match of the season to snatch second place in Division One of the Lowestoft Area (Bowls Suffolk) Men's Triples League by just 1½ points. Bungay lost second place by just four points last year to the same team and thus missed the chance to play in the County League playoffs.

There was mixed news for Ian Gosling's Benacre League team as a heavy home defeat by champions elect Kessingland A meant Bungay are relegated to Division Two. However in the Benacre League Easey Cup they narrowly beat Mundham and Seething 74-72 to book their place in the final at the Wrentham green on Sunday, August 31, where they will meet either Kessingland A or Thurlton A. Should Kessingland win it would set up a repeat of the 1988 final at the same venue when an unfancied Bungay team beat champions Kessingland A.