Pakenham Bowls Club – Pennant Season 2022/23 – Finals
SATURDAY
Pakenham’s second and third sides were given little chance to enjoy their Sectional Pennant wins on the weekend before last – for most players, it was not a case of wind down and celebrate with a few drinks but rather go home, wash your shirt and prepare to saddle up again for the Divisional Quarter Finals on Sunday.
Pakenham Two Played Mitcham on the grass at Mooroolbark where their stellar season came to a shuddering halt – they were comprehensively beaten by a stronger side on a surface similar to its (Mitcham’s) home deck.
Pakenham Three were matched up against the strong Altona club at Cheltenham, also on grass. Although Altona never really blew the Lions away in that match they led at all of the milestones and ended the day with a comfortable 27 shot win. The rink of Rick Burns (S), Derek Spraggon (3), Ray Leggett (2) and Wayne Oosthuizen (L) salvaged a draw, 22 all.
MIDWEEK – SECTIONAL FINALS
All three Midweek teams featured in the Sectional Grand Finals and each won a flag to add to Pakenham’s collection for the season.
Pakenham One played the Dandenong Club at Burden Park. Although there wasn’t much in it at the end, the Lions seemed to be in control for most of that match, mainly due to a big score on Neil Devlin’s rink. Pakenham got off to a slow start and were down 11 shots to 15 after the first 15 ends but by the midway mark had turned the game on its head and with the score at 40 to 19, had more than doubled Dandy’s tally.
Starting from their sixth end, Big Dev’s rink went on a rampage, winning 11 ends straight and picking up 23 unanswered shots in the process – that pretty much decided the game. Pakenham still had a 20 shot lead at the start of the business ends but although Dandy came back at them in the run home it was too little too late and Pakenham won the flag by 14 shots.
Best rink with 33 shots to eight (in a Grand Final?) was Neil “Big Dev” Devlin (S), Steve “Krusty” Bentley (3), Keith Lewis (2) and Terry “TMac” McRedmond (L). Other members of that winning team were: Glenn “Google” Bainbridge (S), Max Mannik (3), “Stormin” Norm Box (2), David Saint (L), Chris “Foxy” Fox (S), Keith ”Golden Arm” Archer (3), Ned Courtin (2) and Peter Bott (L). Good luck in Div 1 next season guys.
Pakenham Two played Monbulk at Berwick in a game which went down to the wire and then beyond. The Lions got away to a good start in that game and by the completion of the first 15 ends had two up, one down and a lead of 16 shots to nine. However by the midway point, the score was tied up at 27 all with one up, one down and one even.
At about the three quarter mark it was still very close with two rinks tied at 11apiece and the third 20 to 17 in Pakenham’s favour. Then, remarkably, after the regulation 63 ends had been played, both teams had 56 shots on the scoreboard – all three rinks were therefore required to play an additional end (or as many as it took to get a result).
As it turned out, the coin toss to decide which team led off in that cut throat final end was a good one to lose as it gave the final bowl to Pakenham’s skips and with all but two bowls to come and the situation at the respective heads standing at one rink up by a shot, one down by a shot and the third up by two (and the game in hand) Jim Williams and Paul Currie both chose not to deliver their last bowl.
The Lions’ best rink with 27 to 18 after 22 ends was Jim Williams (S), Brian Norton (3), Gary “Crow” Crowley (2) and Sandra “Wildwoman” Wilde (L). The other members were Lindsay Stevenson (S), Bill Bosch (3), Ash Graham (2), Ken Clifton (L), Paul Currie (S), Derek Spraggon (3), Ray Leggett (2), Wayne Oosthuizen (L) and Dave Moore (emergency).
Pakenham Three met Burden Park at Noble Park (it’s a pity that teams playing in finals are spread over a number of venues as this splits the supporter base).
This was another close game. After the first 15 ends, with two up and one down, the Lions led by just one shot. However by the midway mark they had relinquished the lead by six shots and had their noses in front on only one rink.
When play recommenced after the break, Pakenham’s players approached the game with renewed energy (wonder what they had for lunch?) and began to make inroads into the Dragons’ lead. By the start of the business ends, with one up and one level they had regained the lead by five shots and were building momentum as they commenced the run home. In the end, with two rinks up and the third falling short by just one shot, they constructed a comfortable 22 shot win from what had earlier been quite a battle.
Best rink with 30 to 13 was Vince Bevilacqua (S), Eric Peterson (3), Helen Wright (2) and Jan Stevenson (L). The other members of the winning team were: Rick Burns (S), Judith Ferrari (3), Roy Harvie (2), Ian Kitt (L), Peter Wilson (S), Luis Aguilar (3), Frank Grant (2) and Derek Fenn (L).
MIDWEEK – DIVISIONAL FINALS
Unlike the Weekend sides, the Midweek Sectional Grand Final winners were given a full day off before fronting up for the Divisional Quarter Finals last Thursday.
Pakenham One played Fitzroy Victoria at the MCC Bowls Club. This was a game in which Pakenham was behind all day yet one where the margin never got out of hand and where the Lions would have thought that they were always in with a chance. For example, in the mid stages of the game Krusty’s rink outscored their opponents by 10 shots to one over a period of six ends, while Foxy’s rink stormed home over the final five ends, scoring 11 shots to one.
However it was not to be and the Lions eventually lost by six shots. The only winning rink with 23 to 22 was Chris “Foxy” Fox (S), Keith “Golden Arm” Archer (3), Roger Fraser (2) and Peter Bott (L).
Pakenham Two played Heatherdale at the Mulgrave Country Club. The Lions dominated this game right from the outset. After the first fifteen ends they led 14 shots to four and by the half way mark the score had grown to 33 to 19. However at that stage only one Pakenham rink was in front – Paul Currie’s rink won the first 10 ends straight and had 18 shots on the board before their opponents scored a single point!
By the start of the business ends Pakenham had two rinks in front and at that stage, with 54 shots to 27, had doubled Heatherdale’s score. From there they cruised home to win by 70 shots to 32.
Best rink with an incredible 36 shots to three was Paul Currie (S), Derek Spraggon (3), Ray Leggett (2) and Wayne Oosthuizen (L) – that is a massive effort in any game, let alone a Divisional Final.
The Twos will play Camberwell Central 1 at Glen Waverley in the semi final.
Pakenham Three were also at Mulgrave for their encounter with Moonee Ponds.
This was another game which might have gone either way but one in which the Lions were always a few shots behind. After the first fifteen ends, Pakenham had two rinks up yet were behind by three shots. At the half way mark they still had two up but by that stage had slipped to seven shots down – not unmanageable, but the losing rink was beginning to haemorrhage badly.
By the start of the run home, the deficit remained at seven shots and with two rinks up, Pakenham was still a chance but the third rink continued to bleed and Moonee Ponds went on to claim the chocolates by 17 shots.
That was the end of the season for two of the Midweek teams but they have had a great year and each should be competitive in higher divisions in 2023-24. Good luck to the Twos at Glen Waverley.
Des Leigh