WEEKEND BOWLS NEWS (Terry Norwood reporting)
There was a lot of bowls activity this weekend December 3rd and 4th and news on that will appear below. Firstly, a few reminders of coming events:
- Bowlers are reminded of the BBQs being put on by the Men’s Bowling Committee on Wednesday 14th and Saturday 17th December. The committee is planning to have some varied tucker and there will be hams as prizes in the raffles. It will be Bob Crowley’s 60th birthday on the 17th so we know one person who will be partying hard! All bowlers and life members are welcome to attend.
- The Men’s Minor Singles Championship will be held in mid January so eligible bowlers are invited to enter their names on the nomination form which is on the notice board.
- All bowlers, men and women, who are interested in representing the Club in Pennants in 2023 are being asked to list their names on the nomination form posted on the notice board. From mid January, there will again be training and skills sessions leading up to the Pennants season starting late February and running for ten weeks (no Pennants on the Easter weekend).
- The semi-finals and final of the Men’s Major Singles will be held next weekend, with the semis on Saturday and the final on Sunday. These games will be timed for 10am and should make excellent viewing.
- And happy birthday to nonagenarian Mr Gordon Lewis! The 3rd December was Gordon’s 90th birthday, and this most likable gentleman received the warm congratulations of all who were at the club. Certainly, all bowlers and members of the Club wish Gordon good health and great amounts of bowling in the future.
SATURDAY BOWLING
The Men’s Major Pairs Championship got underway at 10am on Saturday in what most people would say was perfect weather. It was wonderful to see and feel the sun, and a mild breeze gusted between north-west and north-east. The Waratah Green was in fine condition and running at about 14/15, quite different from the days before the renovation work when it was very slick indeed.
In the first of the three first round games played this Saturday, Mick Armstrong and skipper Mick Spong were up against Graham Hartnup and the old fox Mick Flynn. This was Graham’s first venture into competition play and he acquitted himself very well. He and Mick Flynn made a fine start against their higher ranked opponents winning the first three ends, and still held the lead at 6 – 4 after eight ends. It was then that Micks Spong and Armstrong really hit their straps taking 14 shots in four ends and racing to a 20 – 7 lead. Although Graham and Mick won four ends in the back half of the match, they were unable to reduce the lead. The two Micks went on to win 26 – 11.
Mick Spong was in excellent form!
On rink 9, Andy Connor and that spritely youngster Gordan Lewis went head to head against Alastair McGhee and skipper Dave Coltman. And there was no quarter given to team Lewis just because it was his 90th birthday! After sharing the first two ends at a shot apiece, team Coltman really applied the screws. With Alastair leading very well and Dave in fine touch, they won the next five ends with a massive haul of thirteen shots! Andy and Gordon managed to win the next four ends, but still found themselves eight shots adrift after 11 ends. With Alastair still leading well and Dave finishing ends decisively, team Coltman continued to extend their lead. Andy and Gordon picked up five shots late in the match but it was far too few to make a difference on the scorecard. Alastair and Dave ran out comfortable winners 25 – 12.
Dave Coltman in fine touch! Alastair McGhee led well!
In the final first round game on Saturday, Dugald Braithwaite and skipper Mick Anderson took on Terry Norwood and skipper, the ebullient Bob Crowley. All players seemed to settle into the game and each side won an end for the score to be 2 – 1 after two ends. Team Anderson then strung together four winning ends and pushed their lead out to 7 – 1. Team Crowley then found better touch and, in winning alternate ends forced themselves to within a shot of their opponents at 10 – 9 on the twelfth end. With excellent bowling, Dugald and Mick then wrestled six shots from their opponents on the next two ends and led by seven at 16 – 9. Far from done, and with Bob bowling especially well, team Crowley remained in the game. However, despite Terry and Bob winning five of the last seven ends, Dugald and Mick came away victors 21 – 15.
Dugald led well all day! Bob bowled extremely well!
QUARTER FINALS SUNDAY
Sunday brought another warm, sunny day for the 10am start to the quarter final matches on the Waratah Green. The breeze was gusting out of the North-west and the green was again running at about 14/15.
In the match on rink 7, first round winners Dugald Braithwaite and Mick Anderson took on Peter Cornwell and Tony Oakes. Dugald and Mick got off to a flyer winning seven of the first eight ends and racing to a lead of 10 – 1. Both Dugald and Mick were in fine form and, with Dugald varying the length of the ends effectively, they appeared well in control of the match. Peter led very well for his team, but, more often than not, when he held shots in the head, one of the opponents would manage to take the shot away. Peter and Tony did win three ends on the trot, but, only scoring singles, made little impression on the scorecard. In the end, it was an impressive victory to Dugald and Mick with a score of 30 – 7.
Dugald (left) and Peter Cornwell (right) battled as leads!
On the adjacent rink 8, Terry Butt and skipper Ashley Lewis battled it out against Alastair McGhee and Dave Coltman. Both sides got on the scorecard early for Alastair and Dave to lead 6 – 3 after four ends. At that point, with Terry getting his lead bowls in close behind the jack, team Lewis tallied nine shots from the next three ends and jumped to a lead of 12 – 6. The two teams then exchanged ends up to the fourteenth with the lead unchanged. Then, with Ashley bowling really well and encouraging some fine leading from Terry, they scored a crushing ten shots on the next four ends. Despite a minor comeback against them towards the end, Terry and Ashley ran out twelve shot winners 28 – 16.
Terry Butt (left) and Ashley Lewis (right) were both in fine form!
In another game, the two Micks, Spong and Armstrong took on Noel Fraser and Jim Neeley. Jim started with three shots, only to have the Micks respond with a five, and so it was game on. By the eighth end, each side had won four ends, but with heavier scoring, team Spong led 12 – 7. From the tenth end, the two Micks started to dominate their opponents. Mick Armstrong was leading brilliantly and Mick Spong was finishing equally brilliantly. Almost every time their opponent put in a fine bowl, they were able to better it. When Jim finally conceded at the conclusion of the nineteenth, the two Micks had won eight of the last ten ends. The final score in favour of team Spong was 30 -11.
Mick Armstrong in sizzling form! Mick Spong deep in thought!
In the last quarter final match, the two Steves, Della and Goddard, went head to head against Carl Spilker and Nathan Boyers. And what a titanic battle this turned out to be! Despite giving up three shots on the first end, Della and Goddard clearly out-bowled their opponents in the early stages of the match. They won six of the first eight ends and forged a solid lead of 14 – 4. It was then that Carl and Nathan found some fine form and forced their way on to the scorecard. With Carl leading very well and Nathan getting result after result with weighted shots into the head, they had clawed their way to within a shot by the seventeenth end. They then scored 8 shots on the next two ends to be in a very strong position. The two Steves put down some fine bowls on the last few ends but couldn’t get the better of their opponents. Carl and Nathan finally ran out winners in a thriller 26 – 17.
Carl puts down a good one! Nathan came good with a vengeance!