JBA do the Open double in PE

JBA had the final say at the Perfect Delivery Inter-Districts in Port Elizabeth on Friday winning both the men’s and women’s Open titles.

A wind-blown Westview Bowling Club was the scene for a dramatic but ultimately successful conclusion to one of the premier competitions on the bowls calendar.

JBA’s men’s side was led by the Jason Evans’ quartert which was doing enough for large parts of the contest to keep the trophy looking likely to return with the SA No 1 and his band of trusted allies.

Gerry Baker’s side was initially struggling in their contest against Port Natal. But as the experienced superstar has done time and time again, he managed to keep the score to a reasonable margin before fighting back.

Ultimately, Baker and Evans combined to do enough to ensure the gold medal returns to their home district.

“It was a real team effort. Much like it was throughout the week, but today the team - all eight of us - really dug deep,” said Evans.

“It was tough out there with the wind but I’m so proud to be here now celebrating a great achievement with my teammates.”

His thoughts were echoed by Baker.

The legendary left-hander said: “We don’t get this kind of wind for sure so it made things a real challenge. I have to give full credit to all my teammates, they stuck it out even when it looked like things might not work out the way we wanted them to.”

And that’s not where it ended for the golden celebrations as JBA banked the gold medal in the Open women’s after a solid display on Friday.

JBA lost 5-7 to Gauteng North in the final sectional fixture before going toe to toe with the Western Province outfit, who were already in the final with a game to play.

The showdown was a spectacle despite the blustery conditions.

The sides were locked at level pegging for large parts of the final before JBA managed to find the extra gear on the home straight.

JBA star Jax Van Rensburg was full of smiles shortly after being handed her gold medal.

“To be honest, the only word that comes to my mind right now is ‘proud’. It was a long, tough week but this team made all the difference.

“It’a happy bunch and we know how each other play. We stuck to our guns and now look at us, we are the champions. It’s a win that we will remember for a long time to come.”