WEEKEND PENNANT ROUND 11 – SEASON 2023/24
Both the Weekend and Midweek Pennant competitions were back in full swing this past week.
SATURDAY
So far this season, Pakenham One (Div 1) have elected to play their home games out in the elements on the fast(er) Crowley Green in the belief that it may have provided a small home ground advantage. Last Saturday however, that strategy was changed and they met clear ladder leaders Cheltenham One under the cover of the Paky Dome.
The Lions got away to a good start in that game and after the first twenty ends, with two up and one level, had 21 shots to 11 on the big scoreboard. From that point forward, the game developed into something of an arm wrestle and by the half way mark both sides had two up and Pakenham’s lead had been cut to just six shots.
As the game progressed towards the business ends it was still neck and neck. With twenty ends to go and the end in sight, the Lions had their noses in front on three of the four rinks but were far from comfortable as their overall lead had only marginally improved to seven shots. However they kept the pressure up in the run home to finish with three rinks up and at 83 shots to 71 won by 12 shots – a very good result against the top side.
Best rink with 21 to 14 was Chris “Foxy” Fox (S), Glenn “Google” Bainbridge (3), Geoff “Voota” Van Vugt (2) and Peter Bott (L).
The win elevated the Ones to the fifth rung of the ladder, only three points behind Mulgrave but in turn, only three ahead of Clayton. Pakenham will be away to Berwick (eighth) next round while Clayton will be away at Cheltenham – hopefully the Cockies will be seeking redemption after being knocked off by the Lions.
There can be no excuses for what happened to Pakenham Two (Div 3) at Cheltenham on Saturday. To be generous, they were out bowled by a side which was simply hungrier for the win but realistically, it was an abject and humiliating capitulation – and it had nothing to do with the conditions as players were presented with a beautifully prepared Tifdwarf surface and the weather was ideal.
The host side (bottom of the ladder) were up and about from the outset and had established a 25 shot to 14 lead after the completion of the first twenty ends, although at that stage both teams had two up and two down. At the midway point it was still two up and two down but by then the deficit had been reduced to just five shots – however one of Pakenham’s rinks was copping a hiding.
After lunch the rink which was being flogged staged a minor fight back but by the time the game reached the business ends it was still well behind and the Cockies were making inroads into the good leads on both the Lions’ front running rinks. Cheltenham then outscored Pakenham across the board in the run home to finish with three rinks up and a comprehensive 91 to 63 win.
Pakenham’s only winning rink, scraping in with 18 to 15, was Keith Lewis (S), Jim Williams (3) Des “Grizzly” Leigh (2) and Luis Aguilar (L).
Fortunately, the Twos retained fifth spot on the ladder, four points behind Berwick but are ahead of Beaumaris by percentage only. They will be home to Narre Warren (second) next round. Both Berwick and Beaumaris have (potentially) hard away games – however as was demonstrated to Pakenham on Saturday, there are no easy games.
Pakenham Three (Div 5) were also away but only down the road at Berwick. Their game started much as might have been expected and by the completion of the first quarter of the game they had three rinks up and a slender four shot lead. At the half way mark, despite dropping back to two up and two down, that lead had grown to 15 shots, mainly due to Allister Stewart’s rink picking up 10 ends in a row (although they were mainly singles).
At the start of the run home it was still two up and two down but by that stage the Lions’ lead had increased to 21 shots and they coasted to a 24 shot, 88 to 64 win with three rinks in front. The best of Pakenham’s rinks with 23 shots to 11 was Allister Stewart (S), Mick Knight (3), Gail Bowman (2) and Ian McKenzie (L).
The Threes are still second on the ladder behind Mulgrave which is out of sight in top spot. Burden Park and Narre Warren are in third and fourth spots, behind by seven and nine points respectively. The Threes will be home to Noble Park (seventh) next round.
Pakenham Four (Div 7) have struggled at times this season but with a thumping win on Saturday they finally pushed their way back into the four. The outcome (if not the magnitude) of their win at home against Cranbourne RSL One was predictable from very early in the game – after the completion of just twenty ends they had all four rinks up and an imposing lead of 26 shots to six. By the half way mark that score had grown to 56 to 16 and then 90 to 33 by the start of the business ends.
There is no mercy rule in bowls so the carnage continued until the final outcome – four rinks up and a score of 112 shots to 48. That is not a score that one would wish to see on a regular basis but one which is happily accepted on the rare occasion that it comes along. One must feel for the hapless and depleted RSL, apparently a shadow of its former self.
The Fours are now 15 points behind Narre Warren (third) and six in front of the RSL (fifth). Their next outing is away against Mulgrave Country Club Six (seventh).
MIDWEEK
Pakenham One (Div 1) did not expect ladder leaders Clayton One to get the jump on them at home last Tuesday but that is precisely what happened – after fifteen ends the Lions found themselves down on all three rinks and trailing by six shots to 19 overall. However, with the whole team in damage control, the deficit was reduced to single digits by lunch time and by then “Foxy’s” rink had its nose in front.
By the start of the business ends, after having briefly blown out to 13, the shortfall was reduced to just five shots but two rinks were still lagging behind and “Foxys” opponent had levelled the score on their rink to 15 all. Somebody then apparently found and tapped the “Go” button – in what would be a coach’s dream, all three Lions’ rinks came storming home, outscoring their opponents by 10 to two, eight to one and eight to two respectively to snatch victory, collecting maximum Pennant points in the process.
Best rink with 24 to 17 and 13 ends was Neil “Big Dev” Devlin (S), Keith Lewis (3), Ned Courtin (2) and Kerry Lewis (L).
Despite the win, Pakenham is still in second spot with Berwick only five points behind. They are at home again next round to Moorabbin (eighth).
Pakenham Two (Div 3) continued that winning feeling with a good result at Willow Lodge. Unlike the Ones however, they stamped their authority on the game from the outset and never at any stage gave their hosts as much as a sniff.
With fifteen ends completed the Lions were up on all rinks and led by 19 shots to eight. They continued to build on that lead as the game progressed – by the half way mark it was 37 to 22 and by the start of the run home it was 57 to 30 with all three rinks comfortably in front. The final score was 71 shots to 39. Best rink with 26 to 10 was Keith “Golden Arm” Archer (S), Darren Webster (3), Maree Taylor (2) and Lynne Smith (L).
The Twos retain top spot, with Cardinia Waters, which also had a good win, still 10 points behind. They will be away again next round at Noble Park (fourth).
Pakenham Three (Div 5) were away at Burden Park where they played a game which they never looked likely to lose, despite two rinks having to battle all day.
After the first 15 ends Pakenham had three rinks up and led by 18 shots to seven but on two of those rinks the lead was just one shot each. By the mid way mark, with the score at 37 to 15 the Lions had more than doubled the Dragons’ tally but that was still due to the complete domination by Eric Peterson’s rink. By the start of the run home, one of Pakenham’s rinks had dropped behind by six shots but the Lions still held an overall lead of 47 shots to 31. It would appear that the Lions may have taken the foot off the collective pedal on the home straight but they still finished with two up and a score of 61 shots to 46.
Best rink with 30 to 14 was Eric Peterson (S), Rick Burns (3), Gary “Crow” Crowley (2) and Wayne Oosthuizen (L). This was the start of a big week for Eric who also had a huge win on the Saturday.
The Threes still hold top spot on the ladder, 35 points (more than two rounds) clear of Narre Warren. They will be away again next round at Mt Waverley (third).
HI-LO
The winner for round 11 was Ray Illing with number 22.
Des Leigh