Pakenham Bowls Club – 2021/2022 – RD 10

ROUND 10 – SATURDAY 5th FEBRUARY 2022

DIVISION ONE
Back in November 2021, Pakenham’s top side kicked off the home and away season with a good 87/58 win at home against Beaumaris –however the result of the first game of the reverse rounds was, unfortunately, almost the complete opposite. The Lions found that the greens prepared at Beaumaris were absolutely magnificent although unexpectedly fast for natural grass. Their hosts leapt out of the blocks and by the completion of the first twenty ends had established a comfortable lead. By the half way mark, Pakenham’s score was less than half that posted by their opponents and they were in real trouble on three of the four rinks. By the start of the business ends that situation had not improved. The Lions did outscore their opponents across the board in the home straight but it was simply too little and too late – they came home badly battered with only three Pennant points after an 84 to 55 shot drubbing.

The only winning rink with 18/14 was Neil “Big Dev” Devlin (S), Dave Wood (3), Keith “Golden Arm” Archer (2) and Michael Hahn (L) while Foxy’s rink managed a 15 all draw. The Ones have dropped to the eighth rung of the ladder. They will play Upwey-Tecoma (sixth) at home in round 11 and next Sunday will be home again to Keysborough (second) in the first of the double-headers.

DIVISION THREE
To put it simply, Pakenham Two have been in the doldrums this season and a spirited win against Cranbourne on Saturday provided some much needed spark. The Lions got away to a good start and after the first twenty ends had three rinks up and led 17 shots to 11. At the half way mark that lead had grown to 41/23, still with three rinks in front and the fourth trailing by just one shot. All four rinks had their noses in front by the start of the business ends and the home side was looking comfortable with a lead of 67 shots to 39. Both sides then scored 21 shots in the run home and Pakenham recorded an 88 to 60 win with two winning rinks, one drawn and one down by just two shots. The win did not affect their position at the bottom of the ladder.

The two winning rinks both finished with 15 shots up – “Stormin” Norm Box (S), Allister Stewart (3), Graeme “Wildman” Wilde (2) and Gary “Crow” Crowley (L) with 26/11 while Peter Bott (S), Jennifer Bainbridge (3), John Ewe (2) and Ian “Lefty” Anderson (L) scored 27/12.

The Twos have another home game next round against Chelsea 1 (sixth).

DIVISION FIVE
Despite finishing with two rinks up and two down, Pakenham Three lost their game at Willow Lodge by 19 shots. They were close early in the game and trailled by only three shots after the first twenty ends and later briefly held a narrow lead, with 41 to 39 up at the half way mark. However they were outscored by the home side in the second half of the game and eventually lost with the overall tally at 66 shots to 85.

The better of the two winning rinks with 26/17 was Ray Leggett (S), Trent “Rowdy” Bedford (3), Val Moore (2) and Ray Illing (L). The threes have dropped from fourth to fifth on the ladder. They play away again next round at Monbulk (second).

MIDWEEK – ROUND NINE

DIVISION TWO
Playing Edithvale at Edithvale has often been a tough assignment for Pakenham teams and that appeared to be the situation faced by the number one side in the early stages of their game last Tuesday – after the first 15 ends they were down on two rinks with the overall score at 12 shots to 19. However they dug deep and by the half way mark, with one up and one all square had eked out a slender two shot lead which was extended to ten shots with all three up, by the start of the business ends. The Lions then outscored their opponents 16 to 15 on the home straight to win by 11 shots with two rinks up and the overall score at 65 shots to 54. The better of the two winning rinks with 22 shots to 14 was Glenn “Google” Bainbridge (S), Steve “Krusty” Bentley (3), Peter Bott (2) and Gary “Crow” Crowley (L).

The win has consolidated the Ones’ position on the fourth rung of the ladder, now a full round clear of Edithvale in fifth. They will host top of the ladder, The Dandenong Club next round.

DIVISION THREE
Pakenham Two utilised its home ground advantage to establish a good early lead against the visitors from the Dandenong Club but by the half way mark, even with two rinks up, it had dropped behind – albeit by just a single shot. From that point forward, the game slowly drifted away from them and by the start of the business ends they were 16 shots down on the overall scoreboard and all three rinks were trailling behind. The day ended with the Lions going down to Dandenong 47 shots to 66 and collecting just one solitary Pennant point.

Best rink with a 20 all draw was Vince Bevilacqua (S), Bill Bosch (3), Alan Waterson (2) and Helen Wright (L). The Twos remain in eighth spot on the ladder but are only one win away from the teams in fifth, sixth and seventh. They will be away at Hampton Park (fifth) next round.

Des Leigh