Minor Pairs
On Wednesday 13th July the first match in the minor pairs was played. Newcomer Graham Hartnup paired with Robin Staples to take on Terry Norwood and Bob Edwards. Despite the ordinary weather, the players warmed to the game. Norwood and Edwards skipped away to lead 9-2 after six ends. Although Hartnup and Staples then found better form, team Edwards held a comfortable lead of 16-8 after twelve ends. It was then that a change came over the game. Graham Hartnup in his first competition game found some fine form, leading splendidly for his team. Despite this development in the game, Norwood and Edwards clung to a slender 17-15 lead by the eighteenth. Disaster struck team Edwards when it conceded 5 shots on the 19th, and Hartnup and Staples went on to win 21-18. They now move to the semi-final on the 20th July.
Pennant Trials
Saturday saw the club venture to Robertson for pennant trial games against the home club and Bundanoon. The three division one teams took on two Bundanoon teams and one from Robertson. In the first game, Carl Spilker, Andy Connor, Gary Brown and Mick Anderson took on Bundanoon’s O’Mullane, Wray, Cowling, and Wray. Both teams made a steady start for Bowral to be up 6-5 after six ends. The Bowral boys then made a strong move to push the lead out to 19-6 at the twelfth end, and continued on to a comfortable 26-11 victory.
In the second division one game, Terry Butt, Alastair McGhee, Steve Della and Dugald Braithwaite took on a second team from Bundanoon. The bulls came out breathing fire to lead 11-3 after six ends, and then 22-5 at the twelfth end. Skilled and steady the Bowral boys moved to a comfortable win of 26-10. To the occasional observer this team seemed to be in very fine form.
The third division game pitted Gordon Lewis, Ashley Lewis, Mick Spong and Mick Anderson against a four from Robertson. Again, the Bowral players made a solid start, but found themselves 6-6 at the seventh end. At this point the Bowral team found very good form and dominated the remainder of the game to run out comfortable winners 22-11.
In the first of the division four games Peter Cornwell, Chris Forrester, Tony Oakes and Dave Coltman took on a four from Bundanoon. The Bowral team started well to lead 5-2 after six ends. By the twelfth end the score was 11-8 in favour of Bowral. The game then tightened and the lead was exchanged several times. Bowral grabbed two shots on the 2oth end to lead by one, only to concede one on the last. The game was a 16 all draw, and a good hit out for all.
The next game pitted Arnold Lenczuk, Graham Hunt, Glenn Giese and Bob Crowley against a second Bundanoon four. Despite loosing the first couple of ends, Bundanoon got away to a very good start and led Bowral 12-5 after ten ends. The Bowral boys then fought back over the next six ends to be trailing by only a single shot. Unfortunately for Bowral, Bundanoon hit a purple patch to take out the remaining ends and the match 27-13. This was, no doubt, a good learning experience for all.
The final division four game found Ted McPhee, Richard Denman, Terry Norwood and Robin Staples up against a four from Robertson. Four shots on the first end was a very solid start for Bowral, and this continued for a lead of 7-3 after six ends. Some good bowling saw the Bowral lead push out to an 18-4 lead at the twelfth end. Although Robertson scored 7 shots in the run home, Bowral finished solid winners at 27-11. This game proved to be a solid hit out for all the players.