Jill Adam and Fiona Panting finish equal third in Bowls WA Women’s State Pairs

Geraldton duo Jill Adam and Fiona Panting finished equal third in the 2023 Bowls WA Women’s State Pairs tournament. The competition ran from December 13-15 and was held in Perth across multiple bowling clubs. The State competition saw 60 pairs going up against each other, split into 15 sections of four teams. Section five contained the Geraldton pair of Adam and Panting with the top team of each section going through to the finals. Their first match was against Noeleen Keeffe, from Gingin, and Natalie Anderson from Geraldton at Thornlie Bowling Club. The Geraldton pair picked up the win 12 shots to six and then they won their second match 24-12. A 14-all draw in the third round was enough to see the Geraldton pair finish top of their division with two wins and one draw, sending them to the finals. In their first finals match, it was a close game against Gail Ecclestone, from Bunbury, and Judy Flanagan, from Brunswick District, but Adam and Panting pulled away with a two shot win. In the quarter-finals, the Geraldton side were up against Paula Reid, from Kojonup, and Shelley Radcliffe, from Mosman Park, with Adam and Panting walking away victorious 14-11. The win sent them into the top four, where they faced Chris Ace-Watson, from Mosman Park, and Irene Leahy, from Kalgoorlie. However, the pair’s streak came to an end, as they fell 29-15 to knock them out of the tournament, but with an equal third place finish.