After nine days of intense competition against the country’s best bowlers, the Northern Cape fours team of Marco Geël, Franscois van der Walt, Quintin Kock and JP Marais produced a remarkable run to secure the silver medal at the 2026 Bowls South Africa (BSA) Men’s Open Fours Championship.

Hosted by Bowls Gauteng North from 16 to 24 May, the prestigious national championships attracted the finest bowlers from across South Africa, with teams battling through demanding sectional play and knockout rounds in pursuit of national honours.

The Northern Cape quartet faced a challenging sectional draw and endured a tense campaign to reach the knockout stages. Despite suffering defeat in their final sectional match, Geël’s side had done enough to top their section and progress to the business end of the tournament

Outstanding performances

What followed was a spectacular display of championship bowls. The Northern Cape side elevated their game significantly, producing a string of outstanding performances to dispatch opponents in the last 32, last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals.

Along the way they eliminated several highly fancied contenders and some of the biggest names in South African bowls, earning widespread respect for their consistency, resilience and shot-making ability.

Their reward was a place in the national final against the formidable combination of Morgan Muvhango, Nomatter Muvhango, Sipho Velempini and Abram Masemola of the Sables Bowling Association’s District.

The championship decider lived up to expectations, with both teams producing bowls of the highest quality.

Geël’s side held a slender advantage through much of the opening exchanges, controlling the scoreboard whilst absorbing relentless pressure from their opponents.

The turning point arrived around the 16th end when Team Muvhango edged ahead. From there, their front rank produced a masterclass in drawing, repeatedly building strong heads with bowls clustered around the jack and forcing the Northern Cape team to find answers under mounting pressure.

Dramatic finale

Yet the Northern Cape quartet refused to surrender. Skip Geël and third Van der Walt demonstrated tremendous composure, repeatedly rescuing difficult situations and keeping their side within touching distance. Between them, they successfully burnt five ends, preventing their opponents from extending their advantage and ensuring the contest remained finely balanced until the closing stages.

As the teams approached the final end, Northern Cape required three shots to snatch victory. Van der Walt responded magnificently, delivering a superb draw shot with his final bowl to keep his team’s hopes alive.

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With the outcome resting on the final deliveries of the championship, Geël stepped onto the mat needing another shot to force a tie and potentially an extra end.

The bowl tracked beautifully towards the jack but heartbreakingly finished just centimetres narrow of its target. The narrow miss handed Team Muvhango a dramatic 20-19 victory and the 2026 BSA Men’s Open Fours title.

Although denied gold by the smallest of margins, the Northern Cape team can take immense pride in an outstanding championship campaign.

Their run to the final showcased exceptional skill, determination and teamwork, whilst their silver medal stands as a significant achievement on one of South African bowls’ biggest stages.

For Geël, Van der Walt, Kock and Marais, the tournament may have ended in disappointment, but their performances throughout the week firmly established them amongst the elite fours combinations in the country.