PENNANTS SATURDAY MARCH 8th         (Terry Norwood at the desk)

Saturday saw the Bowral Grade Six pennants side travel to Bundanoon to take on the locals in round six of the ten round competition season. It was a fairly bleak day weather-wise with an overcast sky and misty rain at roll off time. Fortunately, the real rain held off and the teams got through the day without any need for stoppages. At the start of the day, Bowral was leading the competition by 0.5 points from the Picton razorbacks, with Taralga in third position and Bundanoon in fourth. The results of Saturdays matches at Bundanoon were:

Reta South, Peter Flight, Gordon Lewis, Ash Lewis   19   Vs   Bundanoon   23

The sides shared the first two ends, but the local team soon started to assert itself and led 8 – 4 on the sixth. However, a monstrous five on the ninth end put Bowral into the lead for the first time. The scores were locked at 12 all on the twelfth, but Bundy kept edging out their opposites until the nineteenth when a very welcome four shotter to Bowral had the scores again equal. However, a shot ahead after twenty ends, Bundy threw their favourite long end and snaffled a three to come out on top.

Bruce Yahl, Terry Norwood, Dave Coltman, Al McGhee  20   Vs   Bundanoon   17

In this match, the local team settled more quickly and after five ends led 9 – 2. However, the Bowral four then found their touch to grab ten shots on the next three ends and take a three shot lead. The lead became 14 – 10 at the eleventh, but four singles to the locals had the scores tied up by the fifteenth. Things were still all square on the seventeenth, but a double and a triple put Bowral in the box seat with two to play, and safety first bowls saw Bowral home by three shots.

Noel Fraser, Jim Neely, Gail Fraser, Steven Goddard   13   Vs   Bundanoon   31

Although the Bowral four dropped a shot on the first end, they won the next two to lead 3 – 1 and looked to have settled. Unfortunately for Bowral though, the Bundy bowlers dropped into gear, found the jack and were off and running. Bundy led 14 – 3 after eight ends and looked completely in control of proceedings with the lead and skip in brilliant form. Bowral fought hard and grabbed some welcome singles, but, unfortunately, leaked heavily too often for comfort. A clearly superior Bundy four won the day at 31 – 13.

So, overall the day Bundanoon was much too good for Bowral. They were clearly well practised on their slow, straight running green and rolled long ends to keep Bowral at bay. Good tactics followed up with some fine bowling, and they will be a very difficult side at home for the remainder of the season. In the end, Bundanoon took 9 competition points from the encounter and Bowral racked up only 1. Given that Picton picked up 9 competition point from their visit to Robertson, Bowral has now slipped back to second position on the competition table, 7.5 points adrift of leaders Picton. Next week, Bowral travels to Bargo in another vital away game, and teams for that encounter are

Terry Norwood, Chris Forrester, Dave Coltman, Al McGhee

Noel Fraser, Jim Neely, Gail Fraser, Robin Staples

Reta South, Peter Flight, Steven Goddard, Ash Lewis