Valentine beat Kurri Kurri 8-7 but the match was in the balance right up until the final bowl, delivered by Cannons skipper Terry Antram on the extra end of a tie break in the pairs, came to rest.

Antram and his teammate, Andrew Rees, led 3-0 after two ends in the tie break after winning the first set 9-6 but dropping the second 9-8.

It was then that David Govan, the Valentine skipper in the pairs, weaved his magic.

Three down on the board and one shot down on the head, Govan removed the Kurri shot bowl with his final bowl and stayed himself for four shots. Antram was able to only remove one of those Valentine bowls when he drove with his last.

Valentine were holding two shots on the extra end when Antram again drove with his last bowl, but he was only able to flick one shot out.

‘‘I had no option but to go for the shot bowl with my last on the third end of the tie break,’’ Govan said.

‘‘If I connected we were a chance of staying alive, but if I missed we were dead in the water, but there was no other alternative.’’

Govan had Ian MacRae, a veteran of 33 years at Valentine, as his lead, but MacRae belied his 65 years when he leapt high in the air when Govan converted. Then when Valentine won the title he was airborne again.

Brendon Baker, playing singles for Valentine, recovered from dropping the first set 13-10 against Nathan Dawson to take the second 16-8 then won the tie break 6-3 on an extra end.

Kurri Kurri trio John Wilson, Tony Harris and Aaron Appleby took the triples rubber in straight sets.

‘‘In both the preliminary semi-final and preliminary final against Swansea, who were the champions in 2010 and 2011, we got home on the last bowl of an extra end in a tie break each time,’’ Munn said.

‘‘But it was those two victories coupled with a season in which we only dropped one game at home that gave us the self belief that we could win matches against any team in the competition.

‘‘We fielded pretty well the same side that finished second last last year, but for most of the blokes, that was their first season of Big Bowls.

‘‘This year they showed the benefit of that season under their belts.’’

If there was any consolation for Kurri Kurri, champions in 2008 but beaten on the last bowl in three grand finals since, they won the ballot to host the grand final next year.