YC&AC hosted the 2023 Bowls Japan Women’s Pairs finals on the weekend of September 23 & 24. Inclement weather made the opening day heavy work for those not familiar with bowling on grass, but Sunday saw clear skies, warm weather and some really hot, competitive bowls!
Eight pairs in all took part, six from the Kansai region and two from Kanto. Representing YC&AC were Yuko Sasaki (lead) and Yoko Ishiguro (skip).
Yuko and Yoko did just enough to finish second in Group A, and thus played the winners of Group B in the semi-final — the two times former champions Koyama (LC Kyoto) & Maebayashi (Kobe Touchers). There was drama at the denouement of this match, as trailing 5-8 going into the final end, our pair were lying three and looking well placed to force an extra end. Alas, the mercurial Maebayashi, after a long look at the crowded head, rolled in another beauty of a last wood, saving the match for the Kansai pair. 6-8 it finished.
Yuko and Yoko were thus left to battle it out for third place with B1 winners Shima and Abiru, who lost to the Tokyo LBC pair in their own semi-final. In this match, Yuko and Yoko were consistently close to the target and finished comfortable 12-7 winners. Exceptionally well played!
In the final, the Tokyo LBC pair of Kobayashi and Takayama bowled terrifically well until the final end, when incredibly they almost squandered a 10-5 lead. Hearts were in mouths as the measure came out to confirm Maebayashi had just fallen short with her third and final wood of the day, the score finishing 10-9 to Tokyo. Phew.
This was another clinically well executed tournament by Bowls Japan Kanto, led by our own Shigemitsu Itoh. Big credit to Shige-san and to all the regular volunteer support staff from YC&AC (you know who you are), without whom such grand tournaments would not be possible.
Lawn Bowls 