Lawn Bowls: State Champion of Champions double earns Lee Schraner place in history

In winning the 2022-23 Men's Champion of Champions singles last Thursday, Schraner cemented his place in the bowling history books.

The Raymond Terrace champion became the first male player since Rex Johnston in 1990 to win the State Champion of Champions Singles and Pairs double, joining an exclusive list of players to do so.

Schraner's impressive career record in singles extends beyond NSW, having won State Champion of Champions Singles titles in Victoria and Tasmania.

Last Thursday's win was his third straight and eighth State Champion of Champion Singles title in total, taking him past his long-time hero Glyn Bosisto (seven)

It was an emotional win for Schraner and he will look towards the National Champion of Champions, an event he has already won on three previous occasions.

The final was an epic between Schraner and fellow Newcastle player Jake Lawton (East Maitland).

Lawton had earned his place in the final playing a solid and consistent style of play, claiming the scalps of NSW under-25 representative Michael Phillips (Merrylands) and KENO NSW Blues representative Mason Lewis (Engadine).

Schraner got the early jump on Lawton, leading 11-3.

However, Lawton stuck to his guns. He drew superbly and with every shot Schraner threw at him, he invariably had a response.

At 24-22 down, Lawton was match down with one bowl to go and, after considering his shot selection, played the perfect bowl to sit Schraner through the head and hold three, as well as match.

Schraner responded by drawing a third shot and taking the match to a last-end shoot-out.

Again, Lawton was first on the jack, drawing within about an inch. Schraner again had the answer, this time with his third bowl sitting out shot with perfect weight.

Lawton's last bowl had the chance to move the jack back to hold game, and he did manage to make contact, but only to see the jack jam up against Schraner's shot bowl and remain there, giving Schraner a hard-earned victory.

It could have also been a double for Hunter Club Kurri Kurri but unfortunately Engadine's Samantha Ferguson played brilliant in defeating Carolyn Glen (Kurri Kurri) 25-20 in the Women's Champion of Champions Singles final.

Little separated the players with the final five-shot margin the highest of the match.

** The Australian Open began last Saturday and at the time of print the men's singles sections had been contested with the following locals advancing to the knockout stages - Eric Ryan (Charlestown), Tom Brown and Andrew Davis (Lowlands), Greg John and Jarrod Duncan (Teralba), Peter Conlon (Hamilton North), Peter Lyn (Valentine) Warren Shipley and Matt Johnstone (Soldiers Point) and the Kurri "twins" Andrew Rees and Shane Soper.