Gent’s Championship Final
Ross Byers - Gents 2026 Champion
Ross Byers and Ross Stark lined up in the sunshine for a 6.30 start. It was one final where we knew the winners name before the first bowl was thrown (well, first name!).
After a couple of trial ends, the match started and Ross Stark was fastest out of the blocks and started building an early lead. After 5 ends it was 8-0 and then Ross Byers got onto the card with a 1 at the 6th end.
Ross Stark stretched his lead to 10-1 before Ross Byers started a long fight back. Gradually getting closer until the 20th end when he went into the lead for the first time, 15-16.
With the game having a 6.30 start, the conditions were playing their part, as the sun was setting over the trees, light was fading and shadows were altering the players perspectives. It really was a case of who could adapt with the environment.
Both players rose to the challenge and the top-quality bowling continued, with the markers ‘spray chalk’ taking a severe hammering.
The score then went; 17-16;17-17,17-18,18-18, keeping the crowd hanging on every bowl.
Within that, special mention has to go to the shot of the night, which was on the 22nd end. With Ross Stark lying shot directly in front of the jack (about 1mm!) and two bowls behind. Ross Byers didn’t really have a shot to play. That’s not what he thought….. a perfectly weighted bowl tapped the shot bowl to push the jack 1 foot back, his opponents bowl moved 1 foot to the side and left him getting the shot by about 1 inch! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a better delivery.
Ross Stark scored a double on the 25th end to move to 20-18 and at that moment he could taste victory.
At this point, every end was changing, the grass was getting damp and the weight was changing and the line was altering. Nothing could be taken for granted.
On the 26th end, Ross Byers was lying 2 shots and most of the other bowls had fallen short, making it very difficult to get into the head. With his final bowl, Ross Stark tried to angle a draw past the sentries and get the winning shot, but the bowl cut sharply towards the finish and unfortunately tapped one of Ross Byers bowls into the counting area, 3 shots to Ross Byers and the end of what was a close and pulsating game from start to finish.
It was a fitting game for the final and both players deserve great credit for keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats throughout.
Congratulations to Ross Byers, our Club Champion for 2026, and commiserations to Ross Stark who played a fantastic game.