The first finals of the summer at the annual Great Yarmouth Bowls Tournament took place yesterday.

The Ladies' Singles, sponsored by Harbour Radio, and the Beach Café-sponsored Men's Fours reached their conclusion and the competitions were rounded off by a couple of exciting matches.

The singles final was played between Tracy Johnson from the Framlingham Castle Bowls Club in Suffolk and Sheena Siely from the Acle St Edmunds Bowls Club.

Tracy opened up with two singles, only for Sheena to score three shots on the next end to grab a narrow advantage.

Tracy then scored two shots on the next three ends to lead 8-3, only for Sheena to draw level at 8-8 after nine ends.

After 17 ends the Norfolk player led 15-12 but she scored only two more shots, leaving Tracy the 2017 ladies' singles champion by the margin of 21-17.

The losing semi-finalists were Sheila Hardingham from Dilham and Smallburgh Bowls Club and Ann Chambers from the Swaffham Town Bowls Club.

The men's fours final was between the underdogs from the Aldeby Bowls Club - Peter Clarke, Liam Harris, Tony Nixon and skip Mike Patterson - and Norfolk Bowling Club's Max Harrison, Jake Lesley, Tom Segolo and Wayne Willgress, who was substitute for the unavailable Bernie Perrett.

The Willgress rink led 4-0 after two ends but the Aldeby rink then fought back to lead 8-6 after eight ends and then, with a string of 12 shots, they led 20-10 at 14 ends.

The Willgress four pulled back to level the scores at 20-20 after 18 ends of the 21 end final but they could not hold on to their advantage, with the Aldeby four becoming the unexpected 2017 champions 27-20.

The losing semi-finalists were a mixed four skipped by Peter Boldero of the Downham Market club and the Caister bowls rink skipped by Barney Wymer.

Today sees the start of the Peers Premier Apartments men's pairs. The tournament, organised by the Great Yarmouth Bowls Committee under the watchful eye of manager Derek Webster, runs until Friday, September 22,