Malvern Victoria Bowling Club was the venue for a very competitive and dramatic Express TV open pairs competition that saw the players forced to play an extra end.

The compelling final was between Maurice and Margaret Powell, of Manor Park BC, and Mr H Potter with Dr Marcus Holman, of Malvern Priory BC.

The Powells, last year's winners of the Vera Aldous mixed pairs, led from the third end and were 13-5 shots up by the tenth end.

However, on the bowlers bogey score of 13, they failed to score for four ends enabling Potter and Holman to reach 12 on the 14th end. However, the Powells recovered and by the 19th end, the score was 17-16 in their favour.

They then gained another one shot on the 20th end but the last end brought an umpire's decision which gave Potter and Holman two shots, making the match a draw at 21 each.

A sudden death extra end had to be played resulting in the Powells winning by two shots.

The Vera Aldous mixed pairs' final was also closely contended between Jean Meek with Ray Benton, last year's runners-up, and Ivy Foulkes with Roger Orgill, who was a substitute for Maurice Powell. Mr Powell won the semi-final with Mrs Foulkes but as the finals are concurrent, he could not play in both.

Both pairs are from Manor Park BC and the score was 12 each at the 17th end. Then Meek and Benton took one shot but did not score again, which allowed Foulkes and Orgill to win 18-13.

Steve Aldridge, president of Malvern Victoria BC, presented the engraved competition cups and prizes.