July 25th 2020 saw the semi final and final of the Bowral Bowling Club Championship Pairs completed.  The winners were Kevin Stafford and Stephen Della.  This completed a super two weeks for Stephen as he also collected the Club Championship Singles title for 2020. Kevin was delighted as this was his first “major” title at the Club.  The semi finals were played in the morning and Kevin and Stephen were playing Eric Willacy and Paul Leverett who were  winners over last years champions the “two Micks”.  Paul started well easing out to a 5-0 lead after three ends.  Kevin then put together a string of good ends winning all but one of the next eight ends and leading 16-6.  Paul scored four shots on the next two ends but Kevin then answered but winning the next three ends which left the score 19-10 on end sixteen.  Four of the next five ends were won by Eric and Paul, but it was too little too late and Stephen and Kevin won 20-16.  A good effort from Paul and Eric, I think Eric’s first Major semi final and Paul a semi finalist in both the Pairs and Singles.

The second semi final was a match between Ashley Lewis with Josh Woodcock and Tom DeGreenlaw with David Coltman.  Josh was right on top during the first half of the game and by end ten he and Ashley were leading 17-4.  This would seem to be an insurmountable lead, but just as David and Tom did in the quarter final, they staged a late game recovery.  From end ten to fifteen Dave won three ends to two, but a five shot score on end twelve certainly helped their cause.  So at sixteen ends Josh still lead 19-11.  Terrific play by both Tom and Dave saw them win the last six ends scoring 14 shots in the process and in the end winning reasonably comfortably by 25-19.  A really great come from behind win to see them advance to the final against Kevin and Stephen.

The initial part of the final favoured Dave and they slowly eased ahead so that by end eleven the score was 9-6.   On both ends twelve and thirteen Kevin scored three shots and this allowed them to take the lead by 12-9.    Two shots to Tom and Dave saw the margin reduced to one shot at 12-11.  Was the late run home to the finish going to happen again for Tom and Dave?  It was not to be as Stephen and Kevin gained the upper hand and over the final  six ends scored three shots  on three different ends and this allowed them to power away to a 22-13 win without having to play the twenty first end.  A great run by Tom and Dave and I am sure an event which they will fondly remember.  Congratulations to Stehen and Kevin, a great tournament and well deserved Club Championship Pairs winners.

In further news it is not too late to enter in the Club Championship Triples with entries closing on 1st August 2020.  Entries are now also open for the Club Championship Fours and this notice will appear in “Draws ans Results” shortly.  On last Saturday 25th July  on instructions from the Board the Bowls Secretary announced that green fees will be going up to $15 per game.  Also I understand a member of the match committee is organizing a petition to try and have some maintenance done on the synthetic green.  With Covid 19 likely to have further major effect on ther Club revenue it would seem that maintenance of the low cost synthetic would be of vital importance.  The green is a sand filled green and it must be time for the sand to be replemished.  I once played at Artarmon and was told one of their greens was so fast and wide that they had to leave a vacant green between games.  Our green has not quite reached that state but who knows what will happen when the Westerlies start blowing again if some attention is not paid to the green surface.