SATURDAY BOWLS FEBRUARY 18th (Terry Norwood reporting)
Some information to begin with:
- The latest meeting of the Men’s Bowls Committee was held at 10.30 on Saturday morning. The minutes of this meeting will be available soon.
- The 2023 Pennants season starts on Saturday February 25th. The grade two team will open the season at St Marys while the grade six team will be at home against Taralga. Best wishes for a successful opening to the season are offered to all players. Selected bowlers and reserves will be notified by email as well as a schedule being posted on the notice board. Bowlers and reserves are asked to indicate their availability in the usual way as soon as possible.
- Wednesday bowlers are reminded that the BBQ send-off for Lawrence and Carol Vipond will be held at 4.00pm on Wednesday March 8th. The match committee is hoping for a large turn-out to send Lawrence and Carol on their way back to the UK.
PENNANT TRIALS
The Bowral selection panel organised trial matches at Bowral for both the Grade two and Grade six teams. The grade twos were pitted against Robertson while the grade sixes took on Bundanoon.
Grade Two
In the first of the grade two matches on rink 7, Al McGhee, Jim Neely, Carl Spilker and skipper Nathan Boyers represented Bowral against the Robertson four. Bowral proved much too strong for Robertson to run out comfortable winners 45 – 7. All Bowral bowlers were in great form and blended well as a team.
In the match on rink 8, the Bowral side comprised Noel Fraser, Terry Butt, Ash Lewis and skipper Kevin Stafford. Again Bowral proved too strong winning fifteen of the twenty completed ends. The Robertson team did a better job of restricting the Bowral scoring in this game however, with the final score being 22 – 8.
In the final grade two match, Bowral was represented by Steve Della, Steven Goddard, Mick Spong and skipper Mick Armstrong. This was a closer encounter than either of the other two with Robertson giving the Bowral four a run for their money early on. Robertson surprised the Bowral boys to lead 8 – 3 after six ends. Bowral then found good form to win the next seven ends on the trot. Never headed again they went on to win 22 – 12.
Grade Six
In the grade six match on rink 10, the Bowral team comprised Don Chapman, Peter Cornwell, Reta South and skipper Dave Coltman. Bowral had a very good opening to the game and, largely by virtue of a seven shot haul on the fifth end, went out to a lead of 17 – 6 after ten ends. Bundy had much the better of the second half, however, and closed the final gap on the score-card to five shots: Bowral by 23 – 18.
On the adjacent rink, Bowral was represented by Elizabeth Hall, Tony Oakes, Terry Norwood and skipper Bob Crowley. This team had a really good day and was always pretty much in control of the game. Although ex-Bowral bowler Dave Riddell skipped well for Bundy, his team was constantly under pressure. The final score in favour of Bowral was 25 – 10.
In the third match on the outside rink, the Bowral players were Graham Hartnup, Lynn Boshier, Ian Crow and skipper Gail Fraser. This was a much closer battle with the result depending on the last end. Bowral led after the first six ends, but, at the halfway point Bundanoon had taken the lead by a shot. Bundy then pushed the lead to five only to give up a five on the sixteenth end for the scores to be level. A six on the eighteenth end put Bowral in the box seat only to have Bundy square the match with one end remaining. On the last end, skipper Gail sealed the win with a brilliant last bowl: 24 – 23.
SUNDAY BOWLS FEBRUARY 19th
Sunday saw the start of the Men’s Major Triples Championship with the quarter finals getting underway at 10am.
In the match on rink 8 of the Waratah Green, Ash Lewis, Kevin Stafford and skipper Mick Spong took on Steven Goddard, Steve Della and skipper Dugald Braithwaite. And what a cracker of a game this turned out to be! The ends were tight at the start with only ones on the score-card for the first six ends. Some brilliant bowling from both sides then saw Mick’s team leading 15 – 13 after fourteen ends. It was at this stage that Dugald and the two Stevens hit a purple patch taking six of the next seven ends and setting up a lead of 25 – 17. Far from done, Mick fired his team up. However, although Mick’s team won the last four ends, Dugald’s team held on to win 25 – 22.
Dugald in fine form! Bullseye Mick! Doc focussed!
On rink 9, Viv Gear, Mick Flynn and skipper Clive Neutze went head to head against Terry Butt, Dave Coltman and skipper Al McGhee. Largely due to a five shot haul on the third end, and a four on the tenth end, Al’s team had advanced to a lead of 13 – 6. With plenty of chat and encouragement, Clive and his team won five ends on the trot so that after fifteen ends they’d levelled the score at 13 – 13. Team McGhee then hit back scoring eleven shots over the next five ends to lead by 24 – 14. Clive’s team got the score back to 24 – 20, only to see the opposition do the rest of the scoring. Terry, Dave and Al won by 27 – 20.
Al McGhee fires one off! Clive Neutze on the mat! Mick Flynn delivers!
The third of the quarter finals saw Mick Anderson, Carl Spilker and skipper Nathan Boyers up against Owen Williams, Terry Norwood and skipper Bob Crowley. With Mick, Carl and especially Nathan in fine form, team Boyers dominated the opening to lead 8 – 0 after four ends. And then a five shot haul on the seventh end saw the lead to Nathan’s team pushed out to 14 – 2. Bob then rallied his team and with Owen leading very well, they won six of the next eight ends. However, such was the damage control of Nathan’s team, the lead had only been reduced by two as the wins were only single shots! With Bob’s team continuing to win only singles and Nathan’s averaging twos, the end was called after twenty-three ends with Mick, Carl and Nathan ahead 27 – 11.
Nathan bowled brilliantly! Nathan & Bob! Mick Anderson delivers!