The 2015 series of Helensburgh Bowling Club finals started on Saturday, August 15.

One lady member of the club, Jill Dacombe, has created, what must be a record in reaching no less than six finals, three Ladies Singles, two Ladies Pairs and one Mixed Pairs, an amazing achievement requiring consistently good bowling throughout the season.

Jill played her first final, the Ladies Championship, when she faced a previous champion Claire Dennett. Claire started the game confidently and raced into a 6-0 lead. Jill slowly clawed back the lead over six ends and went in front then to lead 8-6. Claire regained the initiative after 13 ends and lead 12-8, Jill then pulled the score back to 12-11 against her before Claire again took command and went on to win 21-11.

In the Gents Senior Championship Bill Reaney, a new member to the club this year, came up against Nick Cudby. This was a close game for the most part with both players producing excellent bowls. Scores were level at five all after seven ends and again at nine all after 10 ends before Bill raced ahead to lead 16 shots to 10. Nick as expected reacted to reduce the deficit to 18 shots to 16 after 20 ends before Bill scored the necessary three shots to become the Senior Champion in 2015.

The Gents Muirhead Handicap final brought together two seasoned players at the club George Sneddon and Alisdair Cameron who opened his account at the first end by scoring two shots. Honours were pretty even, then before George had an amazing run winning seven of the next nine ends to win the game by 21 shots to nine.

In the Ladies Captains final another lady new to the club Susan Claisse faced Barbara Robertson. Susan was in the mood for this game from the start and led 10 shots to five after nine ends, she continued this run of scoring with Barbara, although playing well enough not able to get shots on the card, and Susan ended up with a comfortable win on the day.

The Gents Captains final was also played with the current Gents Captain Eric Wallace facing Robert Begg who came out of the starting blocks with a bang, playing excellent bowls and scoring in all but two of the first 10 ends to lead 14-3. Eric staged a bit of a rally to bring the score to 16-8 against him before Robert scored the shots necessary to win his first singles trophy at the club.

On Sunday Keith Tait faced Andrew Sneddon in the Gents Championship. Keith a five times previous winner started better to go into a 4-0 lead before Andrew scored four shots to level. The game then became very close indeed with both players producing excellent bowls and there was never more than a shot or two between them, so much so that after 18 ends Andrew went into a 17 shots to 16 lead when he scored a four, which he followed by adding a three at the next end to put him on 20.

Keith then added one to his tally by scoring a single before Andrew secured the vital single shot to win him the Championship for the first time, a trophy his father George has won on many occasions.

Jill Dacombe also took to the greens for her second final in two days when she faced Annette Christie in the Ladies Senior Championship.

Jill looked really up for this one and started the game very well indeed and was never behind on the score card for the most part of the game although Annette, a six times previous winner of the trophy was slowly narrowing the gap until she scored four shots at the 17th end to level the game at 19 shots all. Annette scored the two shots needed at the next end and added the trophy to her list of success in the competition In another part of the green Sneddon senior George faced up to Iain MacDonald, old rivals, in the gents Presidents final. This one always look like being a good close game and lived up to this as the score after eight ends was 6-6 and again at 12 ends it was 10 shots each. George then put on some pressure scoring nine shots in four ends to lead by 19 shots to 10.

Iain then fought back scoring four shots in two ends before George added the two shots needed to win the trophy by 21 shots to 14.

In the McIntyre Two Bowl final Alisdair Cameron faced his namesake Joe. Alisdair got right into the groove in this one scoring well and forging into a lead of 11-2 early in the game before Joe reduced the lead to only three shots at 11-8. Alisdair then had another good spell to make the score 16 shots to 9 in his favour. Joe however was not finished yet as he narrowed the deficit to only one shot at 18 shots to 17 against him. Alisdair then added three single shots in succession to clinch his first singles win in the club.