WARREN Cocksedge completed the grand slam of Zone 11 bowling championships when he downed Jason Aurisch 31-30 in an epic final played at Forster.
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"I'd won the fours, triples and pairs at zone,'' the Taree Leagues bowler said.
"Now I've won the the four of them.''
Cocksedge is the Manning River Times-Iguana Sportstar of the Week, earning a $50 open order at Iguana.
The final was a close run thing, Cocksedge getting the result 31-30. Last year he was beaten by Marty Gosper in the zone decider and Cocksedge admits there were times during the game when he wondered if this was going to be a repeat of history as fortunes ebbed and flowed.
"I knew I had to hold my nerve when it was 30-30,'' he said.
Cocksedge eventually secured the win by one shot (see Noel James' report in today's bowls notes on page 18).
"It was a great relief when it was all over. A few bourbons went down well afterwards.''
Cocksedge says consistency is the key to success at zone level, particularly in singles
"Zone championships are hard to win,'' he said
"It a long championship - played over five weeks and we were interrupted by the floods,'' he said.
"And singles is a draw game only, so you have to be consistent.''
He now progresses to the State finals to be played at Ettalong in August-September.
This is a knockout and Cocksedge concedes it will be a tough campaign against some of the best bowlers in NSW, but he's keen to give it a go.
However, his immediate concern is the Taree Leagues club pairs championship, where he's teamed with Bob Hagan.
"We're down to the semi-finals,'' Cocksedge explained.
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"I've never won a club pairs in Taree, so that's something I want to achieve with Bob.''
Cockedge practices once a week while he's a semi-regular in social games, usually at Club West. This week he played in a three-day police tournament held at Tuncurry.
He's in the Manning team for the State inter-zone championships to be played at Tamworth this month, where he's been selected as a lead. He has no real preference as to where he plays in the team games.
"I don't care if it's up the front or the back. I'll play where they select me,'' he said.
Cocksedge started playing bowls 14 years ago when living at Smithtown.
"It was through barefoot bowls. We'd go to the club after playing touch footy and have a few schooners and a roll-up,'' he recalled.
"It was good fun and I started to think that I could go alright at this, so I got a bit more serious about it.''
He moved to the Manning in 2010 and played at Manning Point for four years before switching to Taree Leagues.
