Pakenham Bowls Club – 2021/2022 – Midweek Semi-Final

MIDWEEK – SEMI FINAL
DIVISION TWO
The Dandenong Club has always been hard to beat on its home turf and in the Semi-Final played there last Tuesday Pakenham One, the Division 2 Midweek side, found that nothing had changed – they were up against it yet again and had a battle on their hands from the word go.

After the first fifteen ends of that game, thanks largely to a seven picked up by Paul Currie’s rink on the first end, there was only one shot between the two sides on the overall scoreboard and at that stage Pakenham had two rinks up, although in both cases it was only by a whisker. The host side then settled into a relentless style of bowling in which they began to set up their win. By the half way mark Dandenong had established a 13 shot lead and had all three up, while one of the Lions’ rinks which had previously been in front was dropping away dramatically.

The host side had only increased its lead to 17 shots by the start of the business ends and at that stage Pakenham had one all square and one trailling by just three shots– however the third rink was copping a hiding and appeared to be in a position from which it would be impossible to recover. Dandenong then outscored the Lions over the last fifteen ends to power home to an emphatic, 30 shot win while the Lions were left to lick their wounds and look forward to a better result next season.

Despite losing, the Ones should be proud that they made the finals, finishing on the third rung of the Pennant ladder. The team members were Glenn “Google” Bainbridge (Skip), Steve “Krusty” Bentley (3), Peter Bott (2) and Gary “Crow” Crowley (L); Paul Currie (Skip), “Stormin” Norm Box (3), Derek Spraggon (2) and David Saint (L); and Max Mannic (Skip), Terry “TMac” McRedmond (3), David Laird (2) and Lindsay Stevenson (L).

The Dandenong Club were beaten in the Grand Final by the 2021-22 ladder leaders, Narre Warren.

Des Leigh