The feature event of the Harden club’s calendar, the maestros were dominated by bowlers from the nearby town, with the Cootamundra Country Club’s Doug Wallace adding his name to the prestigious list of Major winners after he defeated Ex-Services Club bowls president Ian Vesperman 31-19 in the final played on Saturday night, while Ex-Services Club duo Bruce Gillies and Peter Colvin battled it out in the Minor division, Gillies prevailing 31-24.

All four players were in action in the semi finals the previous night, with Vesperman knocking out pre-tournament favourite Geoff Holt 31-22, while Wallace ended the hopes of a home-town finalist when he dominated Harden’s Brian Madden 31-15.

Hampered by a chronic back injury for much of his bowling career, Wallace’s time on the green has been limited, however he proved to be the form

player of the 2009 Maestros with victories over Young’s Peter Watts 31-10, Coota Ex-Services’ Don O’Neill 31-23 and the same margin in the quarter final against another Coota Ex-Services player Ian Fulmer.

Vesperman’s path to the final saw him eliminate Cliff Traynor of Young 31-14, fellow Young player Frank O’Brien 31-26 and Harden’s Tony Fisher

31-10 before his impressive victory over Holt last Friday.

With several of the district’s best bowlers engaged in the Major division, it was an excellent

performance from both Wallace and Vesperman to make it through to the final, with the standard of bowls displayed in the decider worthy of such a time-

honoured tournament.

Coota was well represented in the Minor division as well, with Gillies having to defeat club-mate Keith Hampton in the semi finals to give himself a crack at Colvin.

Opening the tournament with a 31-20 win over Stockinbingal’s Bob Winter, Gillies survived a tough second match against Richie Larsen also of Stock before sneaking home 31-27 before downing Harden duo Paul Burns 31-12 and Alex Bomm in successive rounds.

Colvin’s victims included Alan Tobin from Harden 31-19, Coota Country apprentice greenkeeper Jarrod Armitage 31-16 and Boorowa’s Les Murphy 31-17.

Gillies’ victory in the decider was set up by a

dominant first half of the match where he raced away to a 24-10 lead and, despite Colvin doubling his rivals’ total over ends to play, he couldn’t peg back the deficit.

The performance of the Ex-Services Club players is all the more creditable given the fact their home green has been out of action for some time.