BBC BROADCAST SATURDAY JANUARY 7th (Terry Norwood at the desk)
Vital info to start with:
- Terry Salter, who suffered from the heat at bowls on Saturday, is now fine after medical attention and a short stay at the hospital.
- Given the forecast of extreme temperatures for January 8th, 9th and Saturday 10th, the Men’s Bowls Committee has determined that there will be no organised bowls on those days!! Anyone venturing onto the green for a roll up on those days should take very special care for sun protection and to remain hydrated!! Slip, slop slap and drink, drink drink!
- The Consistency Singles matches set down for Saturday 10th will be re-scheduled for either Sunday 11th or Wednesday 14th according to bowlers’ availability. Bowlers will be contacted separately from this notice to check availability and notified of arrangements.
Consistency Singles Competition
One first round game needed completion and this was played on Wednesday in very hot, oppressive conditions. The more experienced Bob Edwards started on minus twelve (-12) points against Terry Salter as they rolled out on rink 9, and it took Bob only three ends to get his score into positive territory. In a tight game, the scores were locked at 19 all until Terry took a narrow lead. This he maintained until the fifteenth end where Bob again managed to level up at 69 points all. With very little to separate the two, Bob eventually hit the lead for the first time at 90 – 88, only to immediately slip behind again, such was the closeness of the game. Bob again moved to the lead 115 – 113 and looked solid, but with great determination and fine bowling, Terry immediately notched up 7, 5 and 7 points on the next three ends to take out the game 130 – 126. Wow, what a tough, hard-fought game! (Footnote: some time after the match, Terry took ill and required medical attention. He’s fine, as mentioned above, but let’s all use this as a reminder to ‘slip, slop, slap’ and drink copiously in hot weather!)
Wednesday Social Bowls
Despite the oppressive heat, thirty bowlers turned out for a roll, and this included Andy Ritchie a visitor from Qld. The Match Committee organised five games of triples which were allocated to the Waratah Green.
On rink 7, Wal Markow, Mike ‘grappling’ Hook and the evergreen Gordon Lewis were overwhelmed on the first five ends by Mark Rundle, Denis ‘rowdy’ Lees and Clive ‘dasher’ Neutze to trail 2 – 12! Bowling in fine form, Clive’s team still led by ten shots at the halfway point, but then the claw-back began. With Gordon cracking the whip, team Lewis won six of seven ends to be within a shot and feel good about their chances. But, then a whirlwind struck . . . Clive’s trio grabbed a six shotter to take the wind out of Gordon’s sails, and, despite dropping a five on the twentieth, got home safely at 25 – 22. Oh ‘cobbler’, that six shotter!!
In the next game, Grahame ‘dragon’ Denman, Barb Wainberg and Junior Cummins had the better of the start against Peter Marshall, Paul Rubie and Viv ‘top’ Gear to lead 6 – 2 after six ends. However, it was at that point that Viv’s team ran together some very solid ends to lead 11 – 7 at the halfway stage. With Grahame then leading well, junior’s team hung in and by the sixteenth end were only two shots adrift and looking to close in on the opposition. Viv’s trio had different ideas however, and they ground out the last few ends to take the game 19 – 13.
On rink 10, Clive Hutchens, Graham ‘leaning tower’ Hunt and Peter Flight monstered Andy Ritchie, Paul McInerney and Peter ‘junior’ Martin on the first four ends to lead 10 – 0! However, team Martin, then finding their touch, by the eleventh end had reduced the deficit to five and were well and truly back in the game. And when they had cut the margin to only three by the nineteenth, they had team Flight more than a little concerned. However, a huge five shotter to team Flight on the twentieth (despite then dropping a five on the last!) got them home 25 – 21.
Mark Barrow, Arnie Lenczuk and Joe ‘rusty nail’ O’Donnell were all at sea on the first seven ends against Shane Harvey, Graham Hartnup and Dave ‘pot black’ Charlesworth and trailed 2 – 11! However, in a skill-led turnaround, they had the scores locked at 13 all on the eleventh, and a three shotter on the next end gave them the lead! The game then settled into a real dog-fight as neither team could shake off the other in the run home. And then, with another three on the eighteenth, Joe’s team grabbed a lead that they managed to hold onto till the end; 23 – 21 was the final score.
In the final match on rink 12, Joel ‘AC/DC’ Hunt, Don Chapman and Chris ‘tiramisu’ Forrester got away to a slow start against Barry Werfel, Ian ‘Mr Cool’ Duncan and Mick Fisher to trail 3 – 7 after five ends. However, Joel then found very good form as lead so that, by the eleventh, the scores were all square at 9 all. Chris’ team then surged to a 16 – 10 lead by the fifteenth, only to have the opposition breathing down their necks three ends later. Game on!! Undaunted though, Chris inspired his men, and they held on to come home victorious at 21 – 16.