Week Nine of the Pennant competition took place on Saturday 11th May 2019.  Bowral Bowling Club had two wins and a loss.  Both teams playing at home used the home advantage to secure wins.

The Grade 2 team were at home to front runners Blacktown Workers.  They achieved a win with a 8-2 point score and at close 57-53 score on the master board.  Mick Armstong had the winning team and an excellent winning score of 28-15 which was a large enough margin to cover the other two teams.  Josh Woodcock, with the return of Ashley Lewis after double knee surgery, lost 15-19 and Mick Spong and team lost 14-19.   Mick Armstrong won 13 ends to 8 and with the help of two four shot ends and two three shot ends built the comfortable margin.  Josh Woodcock was losing 18-10 with three ends to go but scored five shots in the next two ends which would have made a big difference to the master board.  Mick Song was 2-11 down after nine ends and then picked up five shots.  For the rest of the game margins remained relatively even. With one game to play Wallacia will win the Grade 2 as they have a 12.5 point lead.  Blacktown Workers are second on 56 points.  They are followed by Austral 48, Glenbrook 43.5 and Bowral on 40.5.  These three teams will all have a chance to claim third spot next week with Bowral playing the bottom  team St Mary’s and Glenbrook and Austral playing each other.

In the Grade 7 Section 3 Bowral 732 had a win and Bowral 73 a loss.  The Bowral 73 were away to Bargo.  I understand that they held a lead on the master board right up until the very end of the match, when a couple of good ends by Bargo allowed them to snatch a three shot win on the master board and 9 points to Bowral 1.  Playing at Bowral the 732 team defeated Camden by a comfortable 78 shots to 52 and a 10-0 points score  Bob Edwards had an excellent win by 25-10.  Playing in Bob’s team were new Club members Ted McFee and Chris Forrester.  Both played very well in helping Richard Denman and Bob Edwards to this large win.  After 13 ends Don Chapman and team were trailing 14-18.  They then had a great run to the finish scoring 17 shots to Camdens 6, and this included a “7” on one end.  Don won by 31-24.  The reverse occured on the Staples rink with a 15-3 lead after 8 ends being squandered away to a final margin of only four shots, 22-18.  On the ladder Campbelltown already had the section won and they further incresed their lead with a 60-49 and 9-1 win over Picton.  Bargo is second with 59 points and Bowral 732 third on 51.  Camden next on 29 followed by Picton on 25 and Bowral 73 on 23.  Bowral 732 play Bargo at Bowral next week. They will need to defeat Bargo by at  least 9-1 to more into second place.  Bowral 73 are at home to Picton and a win would  also see them come off the bottom of the ladder.

The Zone website features a skippers ladder.  Obviously it also reflects the team performance as well.  However, it would appear that the listed results are only as good as the information passed on to the Zone as it appears many skippers do not have all their games listed.  So while the ladder is not complete, in Grade 2, Mick Spong is listed as seventh on the ladder,  Mick Armstrong eighth and Josh Woodcock seventeenth.  In Grade 7 Section 3, Staples and team are second, Don Chapman sixth,  Bob Edwards seventh and Clive Neutze twelth.