Pennant Season – 2019/2020 Round 8

PAKENHAM BOWLS CLUB – PENNANT 2019/20 – ROUND EIGHT

With the completion of the Victorian Open, it was business as usual last week as play resumed in both Midweek and Weekend Pennant competitions.

SATURDAY

After a win in the previous round, there was a renewed sense of pride and confidence in Pakenham’s Div 1 side as they headed off to Ferntree Gully last Saturday; nevertheless, despite the fact that their opponents were a couple below them on the ladder they were not taking the challenge lightly as “The Gully” had proven to be a graveyard for visiting sides in the past.  The Lions did not start well and by the time 20 ends had been played, at 26/11, the locals had more than doubled their score.  However as Pakenham became accustomed to the green they made steady inroads into the lead and by the half way mark were in front by two shots overall.  After the tea break (the sandwiches were excellent by the way and brought back fond memories of days gone by) the Lions continued to push hard and by the start of the business ends had established a 10 shot lead.  The locals then rallied but Pakenham’s players held firm to secure victory by 11 shots and collected 16 Pennant points.  Best rink with a score of 27/18 was Geoff (Voota) Van Vugt (S), Glenn (Google) Bainbridge (3), Dave Wood (2) and Peter (Hacksaw) Bott (L).

The win elevated the Ones to fifth spot on the ladder.  They will be home to Burden Park (third) next round.

Pakenham Two (Div 2) hosted the old enemy, Berwick.  Their game started well, although there were warnings of things to come with two rinks well up but two trailling behind. By the half way mark the locals still had two rinks up but were four shots down overall.  With five ends left to play on each rink, that situation had been reversed and it was the Lions who held a six shot lead.  Unfortunately, however, they were not able to match the “Wickers” in the run home and with two rinks badly mauled fell short by six shots overall.  The best rink was Jim Barrie (S), (Stormin’) Norm Box (3), (Razor) Ray Pigdon (2) and Sandra (Wildwoman) Wilde (L) – theirs was a mighty effort but their win of 33 shots to eight was still not enough.

The Twos are now ninth on the ladder.  They have an extremely tough away game against ladder leaders, The Dandenong Club next round.

It was something of a Pakenham invasion on Saturday as the Lions’ Third side (Div 4) also turned out at Ferntree Gully.  Their experience was similar to that of the Ones – they lagged behind in the early stages and at the half way mark, with only one rink ahead and another all square, were still down by seven shots.  Refuelled by the great sandwiches however, they dug deep from that point on and held a ten shot lead as they enterred the business end of the game.  With three rinks up they eventually won overall by 14 shots, 92/78.  The best rink just kept improving all day to convert 7/1 down after five ends into a final score of 30/19 up!  Well done Allister Stewart (S), Reg (Wombat) Mattingly (3), Peter Wilson (2) and Sam Granieri (L).

The Threes are now (probably) fourth on the ladder.  They will play Beaumaris (seventh) at home next round.

Pakenham Four (Div 5) continued its disappointing year with a narrow home loss to Mulgrave Country Club. The visitors got the jump on the locals to be well ahead in the early stages of that game but the Lions came back hard to be in front by seven shots at the half way mark; they maintained the momentum and with three rinks up and 20 ends to play overall, held a fourteen shot lead.  Unfortunately, the wheels fell off one rink rather dramatically from that point onwards and the Lions eventually lost by four shots, with two rinks up and another down by a single shot.  Best rink with a healthy score of 20/9 was Ray Leggett (S), Craig Cameron (3), Ray Wood (2) and John Barlow (L). Now on the tenth rung of the ladder, they play ninth placed Churchhill Waverly Golf in the battle of the cellar dwellers next round.

MIDWEEK

In stark contrast to their last outing, those Midweek teams which played on Tuesday all brought home the bacon.

Pakenham One (Div 1) played host to Beaumaris and after establishing an early lead which they continued to hold at the lunch break, looked to have the measure of their opponents.  However they took the foot off after that and by the time they commenced the last 15 of the 63 ends they had relinquished the lead and were seven shots down.  However they showed great spirit across the board from that point forward and with one rink finished and the others commencing their last end, the score had swung back to be one shot in Pakenham’s favour and the game was there for either side to win.  The outcome was pretty much decided when Keith (Golden Arm) Archer’s rink picked up a five on their last end and then, not to be outdone, Gary (Crow) Crowley played a smoke and mirrors shot to win on his rink also.  The final result was a Pakenham win 60/53.

Best rink with 26/16 was Keith (Golden Arm) Archer (S), Terry (Tmac) McRedmond (3), Peter (Hacksaw) Bott (2) and Graeme (Wildman) Wilde (L).  Now eighth on the ladder, the Ones play Carrum (ninth) away, next round.

Pakenham Two (Div 2) were down the highway at Narre Warren.  Their game followed a pattern similar to that established by the ones; an early lead was reduced to just three shots by the half way mark and then relinquished as the business ends commenced – all players dug deep from that point forward to get two rinks up and win overall by two shots.  Both winning rinks finished with four shots up and 11 ends; however the best on percentage was Jim Barrie (S), John Tarr (3), Luis Aguilar (2) and Jan Moore (L).  At seventh on the ladder, they will host Berwick, third, next round.

Sharing the home greens with the Ones, Pakenham Three (seventh) faced a tough opponent in The Dandenong Club (third).  However they were not to be intimidated – they led at all the important milestones in the game to claim a clean sweep with all rinks up and an overall lead of 11 shots.  Best rink (again) was John (Giovanni) Donazzan (S), Kevin Holley (3), Jan Stevenson (2) and Lavinia Moss (L) with a score of 28/20.  They remain on the seventh rung of the ladder; their next opponent will be Mulgrave Country Club (ninth) away.

Unfortunately the Six-A-Side Fours did not have the numbers and were unable to field a team.  They have the bye in round eight.

HI-LO

The latest winner was Razor Ray Pigdon with number 15.

Des Leigh