BBC BROADCAST WEDNESDAY MARCH 4th         (Terry Norwood at the desk)

Mind-blowing titbits to get started:

1. The selectors have finalised the teams for Round 2 of the Pennants competitions and listed the sides on the notice board. Bowlers are asked to indicate availability by marking names off on the schedule in the usual way. If you become unavailable, please let chair of selectors Peter Flight know (0419260946) so that a reserve can be called up.
2. And further on Pennant selection, bowlers are reminded that ‘best’ teams is the policy, irrespective of gender or personal aspiration. We understand that there may be disappointments, but the policy is that we are ‘in it to win it’. Feedback is being sought after each match from skips, and is welcome from players as well.
3. Most bowlers are now aware that we have a new sponsor with a gleaming board posted at the eastern end of the Wilson Green. The ‘Centre for Hearing’ will be delighted to welcome any member, so let them know you are a bowler if you need your hearing checked so that they get some positive feedback.
4. The latest meeting of the executive of the Men’s Bowls Committee was held on Wednesday at 10.15, and the draft minutes will be posted on the notice board on Saturday. There are quite a few things happening, so you might want to check the minutes for the details.
5. And another reminder that the participation numbers for all bowlers for the period July 25 to February 26 are now posted on the notice board. Our evergreen nonagenarian Gordon Lewis leads the way with 60 appearances which probably doesn’t surprise anyone  . . .  except Arnie Lenczuk!
6. Social bowlers are asked to have a think about whether they would prefer to play over a reduced number of ends, say 18, rather than the 21 that we have as the standard. Anyone interested in an 18 ender could note that on the sign on sheet alongside your name when you sign on, or tell us when you phone in.

Wednesday Social Bowls

Wow, what a storm! Most games managed sixteen ends before the heavens opened and sent bowlers scattering, although some brave souls took the drenching on behalf of everyone else to collect bowls and rewind the shade cloths. Thanks fellows! Thirty-six bowlers had lined up so the Match Committee had organised a game of fours (for some of the pennants bowlers), a game of pairs and the remainder as triples. The group was pleased to welcome two new bowlers, Carl Francoli, a newcomer having his first outing, and Neil Puckeridge transferring in from Springwood.

In a triples game on rink 7, Peter Marshall, Paul ‘ricochet’ Rubie and Ross ‘trim’ Barber made a slow start against Shane Harvey, Graham Hartnup and the wily Owen Williams to trail 1 – 7 after five ends. However, they then won four of the next five ends to lead 9 – 8 and looked to be on track. Not so, apparently, as Owen’s team notched up a pair of five shotters so that when the rain ended play, team Williams was leading 22 – 12.

In the pairs match on rink 8, Terry Salter and Peter ‘Virgin’ Flight grabbed a four on the first end against Mark Shelvey and Bob ‘wily’ Edwards and then raced to a 9 – 4 lead after six. Bob and Mark then won four of the next five ends to lead 11 – 10, but a three shotter restored the lead to team Flight. The score was the 13 all on the fourteenth, but when the storm hit, Peter and Terry were back in front 17 – 15. Shame about the rain because this game was shaping as a cracker.

In the pennant trial match, Arnie Lenczuk, Ted ‘Mr Ed’ McPhee, Richard Denman and Mick Flynn won the first end against Ian ‘Mr Cool’ Duncan, Graham ‘leaning tower’ Hunt, Terry Norwood and the maestro Robin Staples, but the scores were locked at 5 all after seven. With Ian then winning the battle of the leads, team Staples then won five of the next six ends to skip out to a 15 – 7 lead and looked to be on top. However, the heavens opened, and the game was abandoned at 15 – 8. Perhaps we were lucky to get the 14 ends in!!

On rink 10, Carl Francoli, Neville ‘the’ Tanner and gentleman Don Chapman made the better start against Col ‘Hawaii’ Stone, Wal Markow and junior Cummins to lead to lead 5 – 1 after four ends. This became 10 – 2 after eight, and junior began to do a rain dance to attract the looming storm! Well his dance worked because after the tenth end they won four on the trot and had locked the scores at 12 all when all bowlers had to scatter! Unfortunately, Carl had had to retire after 8 ends, so Col became the swing to continue the match – maybe it was this that changed the fortunes of junior’s team!?!

In the triples game on rink twelve, Joel ‘AC/DC’ Hunt, Neil Puckeridge and Chris ‘Tooheys Old’ Forrester bagged an incredible EIGHT shotter on the first end to almost asphyxiate Barry Werfel, Mark Rundle and Clive ‘dasher’ Neutze. Clive’s team did grab a four on the third end to get moving, but Chris’ trio kept the pressure up and raced to a lead of  18 – 5 after ten. Clive’s boys then shared the next six ends, but, when the sky collapsed after sixteen ends, Chris’ team led by an impressive 22 – 13.

For the final game, the card vanished with a soaking-wet skipper, but the word is that the team led by Barb Wainberg had a five shot lead over the Dave Charlesworth skippered trio with the score at 15 – 10. What a shame that the flood prevented this game from running the distance . . . Barb was really fired up!