TWENTY teams of triples competed for the Waveney Windows Secretary's Shield at Bungay Bowls Club last Sunday.Four triples were vying for two final places as they prepared to play their last of three qualifying matches.

TWENTY teams of triples competed for the Waveney Windows Secretary's Shield at Bungay Bowls Club last Sunday.

Four triples were vying for two final places as they prepared to play their last of three qualifying matches.

The Aldeby trio of Jack Akster, Peter and Rachel Clarke continued their brilliant form by winning their last game 16-3 to lead the group for a place in the grand final following impressive 24-4 and 15-3 wins in their first two matches.

Second in the group for the third-place final position, but some 20 shots behind, were the Costessey Crown triple Steve Tayt, Reg Harvey and George Webster.

Despite winning all three matches, the Earsham trio of Alfie Broughton, Shaun Snowling and Mike Wilson did not rack up sufficient shots to make second place.

The fourth team that was challenging for a finals place were the holders from Brampton, Harry Mobbs, David Savory and Doris Foat. However they lost their last game and were removed from the reckoning.

Grenville Wright and Mick Battle from Leiston, playing with Bungay's Jack Newnham were the only triple to win their opening two matches. This meant that they and six of the remaining nine teams had a chance of making one of the finals placings.

Despite losing 9-8 with just the 10th and final end remaining, Genville's triple took two shots to book their place in the grand final.

Rising to the third-place final position were the surprised Lowestoft Railway triple of Russell Garrod, Kenny and Marjorie Reynolds who won their last game 14-4 to take second place by a shot difference of five.

Steve Tayt's triple led 4-3 after four of the 10 ends in the third-place final, before Russell's triple took control to win five of the remaining six ends to take third place 11-6.

At the start of a high-quality final, Jack Akster's triple won the first three ends by a single shot, before dropping a three on the fourth. Two more threes by Grenville's triple and a four and a two for Jack's triple saw the teams 9-9 with the final end to play.

At one down and just the skips to bowl, Jack hit his opponent's shot wood with his final wood only to see the cot rebound to another of their rivals' woods, giving Grenville's triple their second Bungay tournament win this season.

Michael Howick of Waveney Windows, impressed by the standard of play, presented the prizes and trophies while Bungay chairman Dominic Belisario thanked all those who had made the day a success.

Bungay Bowls Club teams have either won or are in the hunt for titles, promotion and cup success.

Les Knowles' Bungay A in the Beccles League finished Division Two champions; Ian Gosling's Benacre League team have secured promotion to the First Division; both A and B teams in the Halesworth League, captained by Barbara Wortly and Roger Bullen respectively, are looking to win their divisions, while the club has also reached the latter stages of the Benevolent Cup and Custom Kitchen Cup.