Sweet success for Emu Point duo Kelvin Crosby and Kevin Macgregor as they clinch State over-60s pairs crown

Emu Point bowlers Kevin Macgregor and Kelvin Crosby are the State over-60s pairs champions after coming through a hectic round robin and finals process to clinch the title.

They won the showpiece at Morley Bowling Club with an end to spare, seeing off Rawley Lang, of Rossmoyne and Joe Angel, of Manning Eagles, 14-5.

It was an especially sweet success after they were unlucky to lose in the last eight last year, when they felt they could have gone all the way.

There were 107 pairs in the competition overall which ran across clubs in Perth from September 27-30.

“We’re delighted especially after being unlucky last year,” Crosby said.

“I have got to finals at country week but this is probably my biggest win.

“I bowl with all different people but regularly with Kevin and we decided to enter again this year because we got so close last time.”

First, they had to get through their section with only the top pair coming through the four-pair group stage.

They topped the group, but only just, after two wins and a draw, which came against crack pair Bruce Eagles and Greg Taylor from North Beach and was enough to squeak through and knock out very good opposition in the process.

After that, their first knockout match was against Robert Urquhart and Otto Dawson from South Perth, who they edged through 13-12.

It should have got even tougher after that but they eased through their next round 15-9 over Leeming pair James Bowden and Brian Eather.

Next they walloped Kardinya’s Dave Wood and Noel Morrison in the quarter-finals 24-3, finishing them off with three ends to spare.

The semifinal was closer but they still had the edge over Cambridge’s David Jones and Stephen Buckley 16-11 as they reached the showdown in style.

That was also something of a cruise as they again had time to spare in their 14-5 triumph.

Paul Garbinelli, of Emu Point, and Albany’s Alan Spence also reached the semifinals but lost out to Lang and Angel 15-11 having come through the last eight with a 16-14 win over Steven Rushworth, of Cambridge, and Kalamunda’s William Brandsma.

There was joy last month for Emu Point’s Matt Mitchell, who won the Mt Lawley Consistency Singles on September 6 after a tremendous victory over star bowler Daniel Trewhella.

Trewhella holds four of the five State titles — men’s singles, pairs and fours plus the mixed pairs –— so Mitchell’s win was special after suffering injury struggles.