Bowls Notes and Club Blog

Here’s the latest from the bowlie.
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS.
The Final of the Club Championship Minor Pairs event was played on Saturday, November 19. Steve Turner and Wilbur Harris shared the scoring on the early ends with John Hodge and Guy Ellery and after nine ends the score was 7 all. The next four ends were won by John and Guy and they lead 14 – 9 starting the Fourteenth end. Steve and Wilbur then fought back to win six of the next seven ends to lead 18 – 17 with one end to play. With only one bowl left to be played John needed to move the jack back to his team’s bowls which were mainly past the head and away from Steve and Wilbur’s bowls just short of the jack. There’s a saying in bowls that a short bowl is a wasted bowl because the jack can’t be brought back but it can be pushed forward towards a long bowl. With the final bowl of the match John picked up the jack and moved it towards the longer bowls looking to score him the two shots he needed for victory but the jack hit one of the bowls and ricocheted back up the green and came to rest amongst Steve's and Wilbur’s bowls giving them five shots on the end and the match 23 -17.
Congratulations to all the players on a great match and in particular Steve Turner and Wilbur Harris, the Minor Pairs Champions for 2016.
In a Handicap Singles match George Bradley got eight shots off Graham Barby and played well early to lead 18 -5 after ten ends. Graham gradually got his best game working and slowly fought back and after twenty-two end George’s lead had been cut to 22 – 21. On the next end Graham’s class really shone through and he scored the four shots needed to win the match with all four of his bowls touching each other and within inches of the jack.
Two Mixed Pairs matches were played and Graham Barby and Margaret Hawken proved too strong for Steve Turner and Elaine Miller and Brett and Cherie Frame had a convincing win against George Boatswain and Rosemary Mitchell.
Social Bowls.
Thursday, November 17.
Twenty-four players turned out to play six games of pairs which resulted in some close games and some not so close.
In a see-sawing game, with two ends to play, Col Hayward and Ron Hornery lead 18 – 15 over Col Mudie and Rob Irving. Col and Rob won the last two ends but could only score one shot on each end and Col and Ron claimed the victory, 18 -17.
Gladrin Sun and Les Kent had a lead of 14- 13 over Wally Grant and Col Woods going into the fifteenth end but with three ends to play Wally and Col had taken the lead 21 – 15. The last three ends went to Gladrin and Les but they just failed to narrow the gap, going down 21 -19.
The other matches were won by:
Steve Ryan and Greg Huggins against Ted Wright and Jim Blake.
Ron Fisher and Bob Freeman over Gordon Dickson and John Dunn.
John Carr and Ray Jones over John Hodge and Graham Dixon.
Tom Furey and John Watson over John Ward and Chris Dunn.
The prize winners on the day were Ray Jones and John Carr and the Runner-Up Prizes went to Wally Grant and Col Woods.
Saturday, November 19.
In addition to the Championship match, four games of Pairs and one of Triples were played.
In the early ends John Davies and Ron Fisher had the better of Warren Bevan and Col Woods but after twelve ends the scores were level at eleven all. After fifteen ends Warren and Col had the lead 15 -12 but John and Ron won the next four ends to lead 17 – 15 with two ends to play. Warren and Col scored four shots on the second last end and although John and Ron won the last end victory went to Warren and Col, 19 – 18.
In another close match, Gary McPhee and Bill Skinner got away to a great start and, after fifteen ends, had a lead of 16 -6 over Steve “Nimo’ Mills and Greg Huggins. Four of the next five ends went to Steve and Greg and with one end to play Gary and Bill’s lead was 18 – 17 and they went on to win the last end and the match 20 – 17.
Keith MacRae and Joe Crowley proved too good for Dave Johnson and Gordon Dickson and in the other Pairs match Rob Irving and Martin Tighe had a good win over John Dunn and George Bradley. The Triples match was won by the team of John Ward, Mike Valentine and Ted Wright over John Carr, Col Mudie and Jim Blake.
Prizes on the day went to Warren Bevan and Col Woods with the Runner-up prizes going to Rob Irving and Martin Tighe.
1300 Bugman Barefoot Bowls – Thursday, November 17.
Again, eighteen teams turned out for a great night of bowls.
In the closest game of the night, The Golden Girls scored three shots on the last end to level the score 13 all against Bowl 4 Beer.
Loopy Loppers No. 1 had the better of the early going to lead Purple People 7 – 2 after five ends. Purple people gradually got back into the match and the scores were level, 10 all, after eleven ends. Purple People outscored the Loopy Loppers 4 shots to two over the last ends to win the match 14 - 12.
1300 Bugmen had a fairly close win over The Girls 14 -10.
Other winners were:
Pink against Three Amigos.
We Wreck ’em ‘N’ We Fix “em against The Butchers.
Hi Rollers against Happy Wanderers.
Rebelle against the Royal Hotel.
.Bowl Bros. against Elvii.
Central West Class against Casey Surveying.
Thanks again to the organisers and the cooks for the after game snacks.
STARTERS
Thursday, November 24 - Mick Craft and Graham Barby
Saturday, November 26 –Geoff Freeman and Steve “Nimo” Mills.
General.
Friday Night. The Badge Draw was not won last week and this Friday will be worth $2,200 and will be drawn after the raffles.