GRAHAM Shadwell scooped the jackpot in the inaugural Imagine Cruising Premier Threes showdown staged at Erewash Indoor Bowls Club (Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire) on Wednesday.

The Trowbridge bowler who plays his indoor bowls out of Clarrie Dunbar IBC won the new Premier Threes indoor tournament beating England international Neil McKee in the final 2-1 to land the £3,000 first prize.

Premier Threes is a new dynamic format of the game where players use three woods over three sets of three ends and if a tie break is needed then a one bowl shoot-out takes place. This format is short and sharp with games lasting between 20-45 minutes.

Shadwell had qualified for the Premier Threes finals after winning a qualifying tournament in Bristol earlier in the year.

Under the lens of the Premier Sports live television cameras on Wednesday at Erewash, Shadwell lost the first set to McKee dropping a two on the first end and only managing to share the next two ends 1-1.

But the Trowbridge star hit straight back winning the second comfortably 5-0 and claimed the title when taking the third set 3-1 to become the first winner of this new English Indoor Bowling Association competition.

Earlier in the day in the last 16 Shadwell accounted for England international Brett Arkley 2.5-0.5 drawing the first set 3-3 but winning the next two.

He followed that by registering a 2-0 quarter-final win over Malvern Hills Luke Harwood and clinched his place in the final with a hard-fought 2-1 semi-final victory over another current England international Louis Ridout (Torquay United).

Two players from Wiltshire indoor clubs also qualified for the last 16 of the Premier Threes final.

Swindon Westlecot’s Neil Smith beat former World Indoor champion Greg Harlow (City of Ely) 2-0 but then lost out in the quarter-finals 2-0 to another Ely player and England international Nicky Brett.

Meanwhile Jordan Moody (Five Rivers, Salisbury) put up a brave fight in his last 16 game drawing his match with Luke Harwood 1.5-1.5 but lost out in the sudden death one bowls shoot-out.

Shadwell took the £3,000 first prize while beaten finalist McKee had the consolation of pocketing £1,000 as runner-up.

RESULTS

Last 16: Nicky Brett (City of Ely) beat Billy Jackson (Lincoln& District) 2-0 (3-1,3-0); Ben Paulley (Dolphin) beat Matt Whyers (Spalding) 2-0 (4-2,3-1); Louis Ridout (Torquay United) beat Paul Coleman (Wey Valley) 2-1 (4-1,0-3,3-2); Chris Moore (Barwell) lost to Paul Mosley (Hartlepool) 1-2 (1-4,3-1,3-4); Graham Shadwell (Clarrie Dunbar) beat Brett Arkley (Stanley) 2.5-0.5 (3-3,4-2,3-0); Neil McKee (Kingsthorpe) beat Glenn Skipp (Hartlepool) 2-0 (3-1,4-0); Greg Harlow (City of Ely) lost to Neil Smith (Swindon Westlecot) 0-2 (1-3,1-2); Luke Harwood (Malvern Hills) beat Jordan Moody (Five Rivers) 2.5-1.5 (1-3,3-3,3-1,1-0 tie breaker).

Quarter-finals: Shadwell beat Harwood 2-0 (3-2,2-1); McKee beat Mosley 2-0 (3-1,5-1); Brett beat Smith 2-1 (1-2,4-1,4-0); Paulley lost to Ridout 0-2 (0-6,0-4).

Semi-finals: Ridout lost to Shadwell 1-2 (1-4,3-1,2-3); McKee beat brett 2-0 (5-2,3-2).

Final: Shadwell beat McKee 2-1 (1-3,5-0,3-1).

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