Toby Reynolds wins Wee Waa Bowling Club’s A-grade singles title following a thrilling final

Toby Reynolds will represent Wee Waa Bowling Club at Bowls NSW’s 2025/26 season Champion of Club Champions state tournament event after he was crowned his club’s A-grade champion on Sunday.

Reynolds took on Ty Baker in the decider and prevailed 25 shots to 24 in a 31-end thriller, which saw six lead changes and the score tied at 24-all after 30 ends.

It was a return to the big dance for the now two-time champion, who won his first back in 2021 and was beaten by Steve Berger in last year’s final following a semi-final victory over Baker, which ended the 2023/24 champion’s chances of winning back-to-back titles after Baker had defeated Berger in the previous campaign.

Sunday’s final was a highly-anticipated one, given two of the club’s former champions were going head-to-head, and they certainly delivered.

Reynolds started fastest when he claimed two of the first three ends to lead four shots to one, but Baker fired back immediately as he won the next two ends to establish his first lead at five shots to four after five ends.

The duo then traded a shot each across the next two ends before Reynolds went on a three-end run to wrestle back the lead as he made it nine shots to six at the 10-end mark.

However, Baker then went on his own three-end run to get back in front at 11 shots to nine, and he was then in front 16 shots to 12 after 17 ends.

The lead continued to see-saw as Reynolds got himself in front 17 shots to 16 on the 20th end before Baker clawed back in front with a single shot on the 17th and 18th ends to lead 18 shots to 17.

Reynolds then got back ahead with a two on the 23rd end to edge in front by one, and he looked set to cruise home to victory when he claimed three of the next four ends to establish a 24 shots to 19 lead in the first-to-25 contest.

However, Baker refused to give in and managed to level the score up at 24-all after 30 ends after he scored one shot on the 28th, another on the 29th, and three more on the 30th.

It all came down to the 31st end and it was Reynolds who got the job done with the winning shot to prevail 25-24. He put his bowl on the jack with his first shot, and after Baker unsuccessfully attempted to move it with two drives, Reynolds was not required to bowl what would have been the last of the contest.

That match ended a big weekend of bowls in Wee Waa after the duo won their respective semi-final clashes on Saturday morning.

Reynolds took down Kyne Allen 25-16 in 26 ends after it was as close as 16-12 on the 18th, while Baker outscored Steve Berger 25 shots to 16 in 31 ends after that contest was as close as 18-14 after 24 ends.

There were 18 bowlers in total who contested this season’s A-grade singles tournament, which began back in November.

Reynolds had the bye in round one before he took down Wayne Booby 23 shots to five in round two and then defeated Peter Doring 25 shots to 18 in their quarter-final.

Baker played in the opening round, cruising past Charlie Thompson 24 shots to one, and he then beat David Hogan 25 shots to seven in round two and Brock Allen 25 shots to 18 in the quarter-final.

Berger had sat out in round one with the bye, beaten Chris Crutcher 25 shots to four in round two, and downed Dustyn Allen 25 shots to 22 in the quarter-final, and Kyne Allen had sat out with a bye in round one, defeated Phil Lawford in round two, and outscored Clancy Hamilton 25 shots to 17 in the semi-final.

The 2025/26 Bowls NSW Champion of Club Champions state tournament, which Reynolds has now qualified for and can choose whether or not to enter, will be contested from Tuesday, March 31, through to Thursday, April 2, in Western Sydney. He told The Courier that he will be entering that event.

Meanwhile, the race to determine which team will represent Wee Waa Bowling Club at the Champion of Club Champions NSW state pairs tournament recently got underway.

Four round one fixtures were announced for the local club’s 2025/26 season A-grade pairs competition on January 18, which all must be played by Sunday, February 8. Those fixtures are as follows:

Ben Russell and Jay Hall v Kyne and Dustyn Allen, David Hogan and Wayne Booby v Geoff Whitton and Dustyn Allen, Peter Hennessy and Clancy Hamilton v Renee and Hunter Doring, Melissa and Brock Allen v Peter and Zack Doring.