BBC BROADCAST WEDNESDAY JULY 1st           (Terry Norwood at the desk)

Some morsels to masticate prior to the main course:

1. The current competition, the 65 and over, will continue on Saturday with the playing of the quarter finals. There should be some cracking bowls when Robin Staples takes on Neil Puckeridge, Charles Coode faces off against Dave Charlesworth, Jim Neely looks to overcome giant killer Graham Hartnup and Peter ‘Virgin’ Flight tests his skills against the in-form Mick Fisher. Bowl well fellows!
2. Sunday July 12 will see the Canterbury Travelling Bowlers visit Bowral to have a roll from 10am and then take lunch in the Club. There is still time for local bowlers to join the group by adding names to the list on the notice board.
3. The next meeting of the Men’s Bowling Committee will be held on Wednesday July 8th, and the draft minutes will be available asap after that. Members are also reminded that AGM of the Men’s Bowling Club will be conducted on Saturday August 8th at 10 am.
4. Wednesday July 8th will be a mixed bowls day when the women join the men for 12.30 bowls. Names need to be listed by 11.30 so that the cards can be drawn up, so ensure your name is on the list.
5. Members are reminded also that annual fees are now due and can be paid over the bar at the Club. The Men’s Bowling Committee has negotiated a reduction in fees to $125 this year as a result of the hard work of committee member Ian Duncan attracting three new sponsors. Come on fellows, get paid up so you can get out onto the green and roll away!

Wednesday Social Bowls

Thirty-six eager bowlers took to the Waratah Green on a chilly but rain-free day. Amongst their number was new member Steve Bennett who was introduced to the Club by none other than the under 65er Ross Barber. The Match Committee organised six games of triples to get the bowlers onto the green.

On rink 8, Terry ‘pep’ Salter, Neil ‘rowdy’ Puckeridge and Steven Day, despite dropping a double on the first end, were quickly into stride against Arnie ‘dickie hammy’ Lenczuk, Don ‘gentleman’ Chapman and the maestro Robin Staples to lead 9 – 2 after five. However, a whopping FIVE shotter got the maestro’s team moving, and by the tenth there was only one shot separating the teams. Down the home strait, Steve’s team kept their noses in front and with two ends to play, led by seven. Three shots to Robin’s team livened the last end, but they could manage only a single and Steve’s trio got home 22 – 19. Terry had the better of the leads while the others all had their moments.

On the next rink, newcomer Steve Bennett had a very tough introduction with Ross ‘trim’ Barber and Chris ‘Tooheys old’ Forrester as they were hammered from pillar to post by Clive Hutchens, Peter ‘Virgin’ Flight and Terry Norwood. With Peter in full ‘flight’ after a frightful game the week before and his skipper also finding some decent form, the Norwood trio won the first eight ends to lead 19 – 0 and have the opposition in need of oxygen! Chris’ team did pick up seven shots on the next three ends, but then another run of eight ends against them had them completely flummoxed!! When stumps were pulled after twenty ends, the score was 32 – 8 to Terry’s team. Ouch!!

On rink 10, Grahame ‘dragon’ Denman, Owen Williams and the wily Bob Edwards dropped a double on the first end against Graham Hartnup, Richard ‘gazelle’ Denman, and Denis ‘very rowdy’ Lees, but then won the next seven ends to have a strangle-hold on the game at 15 – 2. Denis’ team won three of the next four ends, but by the fourteenth end, were under huge pressure at 23 – 5 down. Where were the smelling salts!?! They did win four of the next six ends, but a brutal four shotter on the last to Bob’s team summed up the game . . . 29 – 11 had the smiles on the faces of Grahame, Owen and Bob.

In the next game, Brian ‘misère’ Bailey, Mark Rundle and Viv ‘second’ Gear sneaked a single on the first end against Charles ‘morse’ Coode, Shane Harvey and Dave ‘beanie’ Charlesworth, but then found themselves on the wrong side of the ledger at 3 – 8 after seven. However, with Mark finding the jack, Viv’s trio took over the running and had the scores at 9 all after eleven. With their tails up, they then kept the pressure on the opposition and with four ends to play, held a four shot lead. Two ends later, the lead was six, and despite a double to Dave’s team on the twentieth, team Gear’s winning margin was a relatively comfortable five shots at 18 – 13.

On rink 12, Alex Christlo, Graham ‘Pisa’ Hunt and Clive ‘dasher’ Neutze were gasping for breath after dropping an horrendous SIX shotter on the third end against Jill ‘Hollywood’ Harwood, Ian Duncan and Steven ‘suave’ Goddard, but responded resoundingly to have the scores locked at 7 all three ends later. This became 10 all after ten ends, but then the wheels started to loosen on the ‘Neutze’ team cart as they dropped a pair of fours, and a couple of other miserable ends saw Steven’s team holding sway at 24 – 11. Clive’s team won a couple of the remaining ends but it was team Goddard that swept to the clubhouse handsome victors at 28 – 14.

In the final game, on rink 15, Mark ‘admiral’ Shelvey, Neville Tanner and the evergreen cobbler Gordon Lewis won the first two ends against Joel ‘AC/DC’ Hunt, Paul Rubie and Mick ‘potters’ Flynn but by the fifth end the scores were all square at 5 apiece. It was then that Joel began to smother the jack and have his team right on the front foot end after end. Leading 14 – 10 on the thirteenth, Mick’s trio, thanks to Joel, grabbed 4, 6 and 4 to have the opposition looking to the heavens for guidance. Well, some was on offer because Gordon’s team won the next four ends, but the damage had been done and Mick’s team ended the day 30 – 17 to the better. Any offers for Joel’s services next week?!