Bell Triumphs in Gripping South Canterbury Singles Final
In a classic "game of two halves," West End’s Andrew Bell staged a massive comeback to outlast Temuka’s Marshall Stoddart, claiming the South Canterbury Centre singles title in a gritty display of lawn bowls.
The tournament resumed on Saturday at the West End Astro green after a two-month rain delay, beginning with the quarter-finals. By the time the final commenced, it looked as though Stoddart would run away with the silverware.
Stoddart came out of the blocks with clinical precision. He dominated the opening exchanges while Bell struggled to find his line and length. Stoddart opened with a maximum four shots on the first end and quickly raced to an 8–0 lead in the race to 21.
Bell finally found his mark on the fourth end, drawing a "toucher" with his final bowl to get on the scoreboard. However, Stoddart remained relentless, smothering the kitty with outstanding draw shots to stretch his lead to a commanding 12–3. At that stage, Stoddart’s accuracy was so consistent it seemed his bowls were being placed by hand.
The tide began to turn on the 11th end. Bell executed a magnificent trail to pick up three shots, narrowing the gap to 14–7. Despite Stoddart answering back to lead 17–10, Bell—affectionately known as "Dinga"—began his charge, clawing back to 17–15.
The definitive moment of the match arrived with Stoddart leading 18–15. With Bell holding two, Stoddart played a superb shot to sit beside the jack. Under immense pressure, Bell delivered the "bowl of the final," trailing the kitty with precision to score three and level the game.
Bell then took the lead for the first time at 19–18. In a tense final sequence, Bell delivered a yard-draw shot under maximum pressure to secure the 21–19 victory and his maiden South Canterbury title.
Bell’s road to the trophy was anything but easy. In the semi-final, he faced former New Zealand champion Sean O’Neill. In a cliffhanger, Bell drew to the ditch with his final bowl to halt O’Neill’s comeback, winning 21–17. Stoddart reached the final by convincingly outplaying Kia Toa’s Trev Cloughley 21–10.
After the game, an emotional Bell described the win as a "dream come true," noting that to win the title he had to go through three of the region's best: Richie Kerr, Sean O'Neill, and Marshall Stoddart.
Bell dedicated the victory to his late uncle, Kim Tapper. A legendary figure from the Pleasant Point club known as the "Giant Assassin," Tapper introduced Andrew to the game.
Tournament Results:
Quarter-Finals
• Marshall Stoddart (Temuka) def. Adrian Robins (West End) 21-3
• Andrew Bell (West End) def. Richie Kerr (West End) 21–17
• Trevor Cloughley (Kia Toa) def. Mick Ross (West End) 21–20
• Sean O’Neill (Kia Toa) def. Nigel Mobberley (West End) 21–19
Semi-Finals
• Stoddart 21 – 10 Cloughley
• Bell 21 – 19 O’Neill
Final
• Bell 21 – 19 Stoddart
- Richie Kerr
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