BBC BROADCAST for WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 19th (Terry Norwood at the desk)
Some general info for a start:
- Saturday 22nd will see the Bowral pennants side in action on the Waratah Green commencing at 1pm. Bowral will play host to the current competition leaders Picton in what should be a fine match.
- Despite the pennants in action, social bowls will still be available for a limited number of bowlers. This will commence at 1pm also and not 12.30. The later start will allow the pennants bowlers to roll up on the outside rinks prior to their games.
- For those members who haven’t yet completed the survey sent out by Ian Duncan for the Men’s Bowling Committee, you have until Sunday night to get that done for us. We’d be grateful if you could attend to that over the next couple of days so that the committee can consider the results next Wednesday.
- And some reminders to all lead bowlers, social as well as competition and pennants, to keep the games moving. Lead bowlers are reminded that the rolling of the jack to commence the end is an important function. Look to your skipper for guidance on where to place the mat, and where he would like you to roll the jack. If that guidance isn’t available, think yourself whether to move the mat forward or back; don’t just plonk it down in the same place every time unless you keep winning from that spot! And remember, when changing ends not to stop to look at the head, but keep moving so that the seconds (or thirds) can assess the head ready to advise the skipper. Have a look, but keep moving through and off the green.
- And for seconds (and thirds and skips), remember to move out of the head when it’s not your team’s turn to bowls. As soon as a bowl for your side stops moving, you have to move out of the head and leave it to the opposition. Position yourself so that you know what the situation is immediately your side’s bowl stops moving and then move out of the head. This is not only etiquette, but it helps to keep the game moving.
Wednesday Social Bowls
Forty-two bowlers, a full house for the Waratah Green, turned out for social bowls on what was a pleasant Wednesday afternoon. There had been some talk of a possible shower, but the sky remained clear and the breeze was only a minor consideration. It was great to have ‘dasher’ Clive Neutze and ‘gentleman’ Don Chapman back on the green after their minor medical patch-ups, but we were missing the maestro Robin Staples. Unfortunately, his left wrist couldn’t take his weight during a fall and it’s now in plaster soon to be checked out by a specialist. We wish you well with that Robin. And of course, we missed Committee member Graham Hunt who was off in Manly celebrating his birthday. Given the number of bowlers, the Match Committee organised seven games of triples.
On rink 7, Jim Larkin, Paul ‘mac’ McInerney and Clive ‘dasher’ Neutze took on Mark ‘wheel’ Barrow, Mike ‘left’ Hook and Viv ‘low’ Gear. Despite dropping a double on the first end, Viv’s team won the next three to lead 4 – 2. Clive’s trio then grabbed a couple of ends to lead 6 – 4, but by the eleventh were under the pump at 7 – 16. By the sixteenth end, this was 8 – 22 and they were really under huge pressure and looking for divine intervention. There was none available so they responded with grit to grab seven shots on the next two ends and it was game on! But, Viv’s boys would have none of it, steadied, grabbed a couple of doubles and ran out 26 – 18 victors. And skippers beware – Viv’s winning streak as skip is now six matches!!
Viv is having a wonderful run as skipper!
On rink 8, Bruce ‘scratched’ Yahl, Richard ‘Denman’ Denman, Steven ‘suave’ Goddard face up to Ken Looke, Ian ‘mr cool’ Duncan and the admiral Peter Watson. And in an astonishing opening, Steven’s team monstered the opposition to lead 18 – 3 after eight ends! Where was the oxygen . . . where was the defibrillator . . . where was the . . . anything!! Apparently, Steven, recently back from clean cruising, was having a blinder and taking no prisoners! Wow! Peter’s trio did manage to share the last ten ends, but unfortunately for them the opposition had long escaped and were, yes, cruising home! The final score was 29 – 11 in favour of team Goddard.
The cruiser is back . . . Steven had a great game first up!
In the 18-ender on rink 9, Rick ‘lollypop’ Reynolds, Neville ‘the’ Tanner and ‘junior’ Cummins stared down Bill ‘jockey’ Dodwell, Keith ‘fox’ Edwards and ‘mr ricochet’ Paul Rubie. Paul’s team had the better of the opening to lead 6 – 1 after four ends and had the opposition more than a little nervous. However, it was then that team Cummins hit pay-dirt and by the seventh it was 7 all. At that point, the Cummins machine really shuddered into gear to win the next eight ends on the trot, including a breathtaking five on the twelfth. And when they followed with a six shotter on the fifteenth, the opposition was flat on the canvas and out for the count. The final score and the bragging rights to team Cummins was 28 – 10.
‘junior’ Cummins on the mat; watch out you 21-end bowlers!
In the encounter on rink 10, Terry ‘pep’ Salter, Rowena Coode and Gordon ‘cobbler’ Lewis battled against Barb ‘stretch’ Wainberg, Peter ‘full’ Flight and Mick ‘potters’ Flynn. Gordon’s team opened with panache and guile to stun the opposition and lead 9 – 1 after six ends. Not happy with that, skipper Mick fired up his team with the result that they had reduced the deficit to two shots, 8 – 10, by the twelfth. The game then was tight, so tight in fact that the scores were locked at 14 all with four ends to play. And then the cobbler swooped . . . a four followed by two fives absolutely obliterated team Flynn, and Gordon’s team went on to win 28 – 17.
Gordon ‘cobbler’ Lewis; look at the style on the mat!
On rink 11, Wal ‘speckles’ Markow, Barry ‘smerfel’ Werfel and Dave ‘pot black’ Charlesworth tussled with Alex ‘wides’ Christlo, Charles Coode and Peter ‘miraculous’ Morales. Both sides scored early, so that it was 5 all after five ends. At this point, the ends were being hard fought and it was still all square after eight. It was then that Dave’s team took the advantage, notched up three triples and stretched the lead to 16 – 8 on the twelfth. Peter’s team got the score to 11 – 16, but from there it was all down hill for them. Team Charlesworth came home with a wet sail to win comfortably at 28 – 15. No miracles for the miracle man today!
In the match on the next rink, Grahame ‘dragon’ Denman, Don ‘gentleman’ Chapman and Terry ‘puff’ Norwood tried to get the better of Joel ‘grr’ Hunt, Arnie ‘dickie knee’ Lenczuk and and Joe ‘skip’ O’Donnell. With Joel opening well, Joe’s team had the early jump on their opposites to lead 4 – 0 after three ends. At that point however, with the dragon starting to fire and Don on fire, the Norwood team clunked into gear and went on a run . . . a run of nine consecutive ends in fact to lead 20 – 4! Nice feeling for them, but what followed was a nice feeling for Joe’s team! With no shots in the head, the wheels fell off the Norwood cart, and team O’Donnell came charging home. They notched up ten shots to get to within seven, but then team Norwood scrambled together enough form to salvaged a couple of ends. They limped home victors at 23 – 15.
The ‘dragon’ Grahame Denman had a great first half of the match!
In the final match, Shane ‘nee’ Harvey, Jill ‘Hollywood’ Harwood and Chris ‘ebullient’ Forrester butted up against Mark Shelvey, Graham ‘hardnut’ Hartnup and Bob ‘wily’ Edwards. In this encounter on the outside rink, the teams went hard at each other. It was 4 all after three ends, 5 all after five, 11 all after nine and 12 all after eleven! What this game needed was a game-breaker and it came on the following end! Chris’ team grabbed a four shotter followed by a single and they were off and running. They pushed the score out to 22 – 13 before Bob’s trio could catch breath and win a couple of ends. However, the horse had bolted, and Chris’ team glided home to the tune of 24 – 16. And for the victors, Jill had her yellow bowls well on track in another solid game.
Yellow magic; the Jill Harwood style!