In the end, Ian Bannister and his team at Zone 3 bowls did it.
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After twice being mugged by the coronavirus, Zone 3 still managed to complete its state championships season.
A nightmare 2020 concluded with the recent Champion of Club Champion Pairs at South Tamworth Bowling Club.
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Bannister said: "It was a pretty hard season, but it was just one of those things that happened."
Bowls in the region emerged from the COVID-19 fog in June after being suspended since March.
But just as the sport gathered pace, Bowls NSW responded to July's COVID cluster in Sydney by again suspending play.
Bannister said the second suspension latest six weeks and had a lingering effect once play resumed.
When players had to renominate for the pairs and triples, "the numbers were down a lot", he said.
"It was just one of those things that happened, with people getting a bit confused, I think," he said. "That was the big problem."
He also said: "People didn't want to do anything after the second lockdown, and we had a bit of a problem with entries for some of the state events.
"But we finished up getting them all over and done with, so it was good."
Bannister saluted the effort of Zone 3's match committee, which is led by Phil O'Reilly.
"The boys on the match committee done a great job to get everything sorted out and get it finished," he said.
He continued: "It was not the best season we've had, but it was great that we got everything over and done with."
Next year "couldn't be any worse" than 2020, he added.
Clubs championships are ongoing across the zone due to COVID delays.
The Champion of Club Champion Singles title was won by Justin Knight (Wee Waa Bowling Club), who edged Scott Thorning (Gunnedah Services and Bowling Club) 31-28 in the final.
Knight will represent the North West Zone at the 2020 Champion of Club Champion Singles at Ettalong Bowling Club in February.
The Champion of Club Champion Pairs was won by Cameron Yates and Sam Pryor (Narrabri Sporties), who defeated Justin Bullen and Steve Fuller (Armidale City) in the final.
Yates and Prior will contests the 2020 Champion of Club Champion Pairs at Ettalong Bowling Club in March.
