Moama Green UBC’s ultimate Team

By Bransen Gibson

Dec 21, 2022

Ultimate team: Moama Green’s Wayne Turley, Kevin Anderson and Ryan Bester (front) with Moama Bowling Club members after being crowned the top performers at the Ultimate Bowls Championship. Photo: UBC

Moama Green has been crowned the “Ultimate Team” at the Ultimate Bowls Championship, taking out the top prize at the six-day event.

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The team of Ryan Bester, Kevin Anderson and Wayne Turley finished the tournament as the top side following a stellar week on the greens at Moama Bowling Club.

Taking part in three two-day events, the Moama Green trio made the finals each time, finishing second, first and equal third.

Its grand final win in event two was the highlight of the week, with Bester and Turley defeating the Warilla Gorillas 64 shots to 50 in a thrilling encounter.

After a grand final showdown in event one between Moama Green and Team Exodas that went the way of the latter, the two sides met in the quarter-finals in event three with the Ultimate Team title on the line.

Locked in: Moama Green’s Ryan Bester focuses before taking his shot at the Ultimate Bowls Championship. Photo: Bransen Gibson

With both teams having each won one of the events, the victor in their fourth and final showdown would determine the top team.

It was Bester and Anderson who got the better of Aron Sherriff and Matt Baus of Exodas 72–51, avenging their grand final defeat in event one and clinching the Ultimate Team crown.

Bester in particular was in sensational form for Moama Green all week.

“I love this rink, this is one of the best weeks of my life playing bowls,” Bester said after his side’s event three quarter-final win over Exodas.

• GREEN GLORY: Moama Green wins at Ultimate Bowls Championship

The UBC is one of the showpiece events in the world of bowls, with 26 teams comprised of the sport’s elite going head-to-head.

Matches were streamed online around the globe, with the event finals broadcast live on Kayo Sports.

A total of $500,000 in prizemoney was up for grabs, making it the richest bowls tournament in the world.

Moama Green took home its fair share of the prizemoney, pocketing $50,000 for its event one win, $25,000 for finishing second and $5000 for being crowned the Ultimate Team.

Rolling along: Kevin Anderson of Moama Green sends his bowl down the rink. Photo: Bransen Gibson

Moama had two teams taking part at the event, with Alex Marshall, Cass Millerick and Ryan Burnett suiting up for Moama Black.

Moama Black also made the finals of all three events, losing in the semi-final in the first event before bowing out in the preliminaries in events two and three.

Marshall and Bester were also recognised for their individual efforts, each claiming the “Golden Touch” award, given to the player with the most touchers — a shot that hits the jack — in sectional play.

Bester had a massive 38 touchers in event two, while Marshall finished tied with Nick Cahill of Club Sunbury Extreme with 32 touchers in event three.

Moama Steamers pennant bowlers Cameron Keenan, Olivia Cartwright and Brad Campbell were also in action at the UBC, representing the UBC Challengers and Bowls Asia Eagles.