The powerful Victorian men’s and women’s teams completed a comprehensive series victory against a game Tasmanian side at Karingal on July 3.

‘Thunder’, the men’s side, finished its five rubbers in the French Holbrook Shield Series unbeaten, while the women’s ‘Lightning’ combination won four of its five starts to win the Valmai Lewis Trophy.

This was Victoria’s 37th win in the 44-year history of the French Holbrook Series – named after former state presidents Syd French and Bert Holbrook – while the women clocked up their 11th Lewis Trophy win since 1999. The late Valmai Lewis was president of the VLBA in 1998 and 1999.

This was the first interstate bowls series in Australia since the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020 – ironically, Victoria was playing Tasmania in Launceston at the time – when the teams were ordered to return to Melbourne immediately with just two of the five rubbers completed.

Photo: The jubilant Victorian team after its comprehensive victory at the SkyeDome.

Victoria v Tasmania 2022 Test Series

Full results:

Women:

First Test: Vic bt Tas 68-38 (Taylor Marron, AJ Jenkins, Anne Miles, Cass Millerick 24 Crystal Brooks, Jorja Maughan, Jenny Suttie, Candice Ayton 17; Olivia Cartwright, Jodie Fruend, Samantha Atkinson, Lisa Phillips 31 Jessica McMullen, Bronwyn King, Lauren Banks, Makayla Gibson 13; Sophie Kurzman, Tris Doolan, Emma Simmonds, Mikayla Long 13 Kirsten Viney, Alison Venn, Erin Moore, Rae Simpson 20).

Second Test: Vic lost to Tas 41-65 (Millerick 19 Gibson 15, Phillips 9 Simpson 26, Long 13 Ayton 24).

Third Test: Vic bt Tas 66-59 (Millerick 14 Simpson 23, Phillips 25 Ayton 15, Long 27 Gibson 21).

Fourth Test: Vic bt Tas 62-45 (Millerick 23 Ayton 12, Phillips 23 Gibson 13, Long 16 Simpson 20).

Fifth Test: Vic bt Tas 68-38 (Millerick 22 Gibson 13, Phillips 21 Simpson 18, Long 25 Ayton 7).

Victoria won Valmai Lewis Series 4-1

Men:

First Test: Vic bt Tas 64-55 (John McCarron, Brad Orr, Dylan Fisher, Matt Flapper 20 William Coad, David Gamble, Josh Appleyard, Mark Nitz 14; Curtis Hanley, Nathan Murray, Brendan Gallagher, Dean O’Neill 21 Isaac Maughan, Lachlan Sims, Taelyn Male, Michael Sims 20; Thor Shannon, James Pearce, Dane McKinnon, Brett Mahoney 23 Jacob Brown, Aaron Jago, Josh Walker-Davis, Mark Strochnetter 21).

Second Test: Vic bt Tas 73-47 (Flapper 26 Sims 13, O’Neill 24 Strochnetter 19, Mahoney 23 Nitz 15).

Third Test: Vic bt Tas 63-59 (Flapper 17 Strochnetter 25, O’Neill 22 Nitz 20, Mahoney 24 Sims 14).

Fourth Test: Vic bt Tas 68-61 (Flapper 22 Nitz 24, O’Neill 12 Sims 27, Mahoney 34 Strochnetter 10).

Fifth Test: Vic bt Tas 56-50 (Flapper 27 Sims 18, O’Neill 17 Strochnetter 16, Mahoney 12 Nitz 16).

Victoria won French Holbrook Series 5-0