Frome’s new national bowls champion

Frome’s Graham Shadwell is the new national bowls champion.

The Clarrie Dunbar player won the inaugural National Final of the Premier Threes – a new quick format of the singles game which is played with three bowls, for three sets of three ends.

Graham, having qualified in the Premier Threes Regional Event at Bristol back in August, travelled to Erewash Indoor Bowls Club (Nottinghamshire) for the finals on the Wednesday 18th December where he came up against Neil McKee from Kingsthorpe, winning 2-1.

His opponent, who had been in great touch throughout the competition, drew first blood in the first set, winning it 1-3, but Graham bounced back with resounding success in the second, claiming it 5-0 and taking the game to a deciding set.

It was fitting that the game went down to the final end, with the pair of them tied at 1-1 after two ends but Graham produced two excellent shots to bring the title back to Frome.

Graham had previously faced Brett Arkley from Stanley in the first round, winning 2.5 – 0.5. In the quarter final he beat Luke Harwood from Malvern Hills 2-0, then in the semi-final Graham beat Torquay United’s Louis Ridout 2-1.