GARFIELD BOWLS
It was a mixed grill for the Garfield sides this week – one loss, one draw and one win.
On Tuesday 18 January, Garfield’s Midweek Div 3 side visited Morwell to play under their roof.
Like sunflowers in the shade, they wilted, and lost overall by 38 shots to 66.
Sue Stansfield’s team, consisting of Wes Goodman, Gillian Harper and Barry Johnson, started out well and were five shots to three up after five ends; but then the home team got going and, although it was only ones and twos on each end, it was the number of ends that mounted up. Garfield lost by 12 shots to 21.
The team of Judy Pocklington, Peter Stansfield, Damian Brick and skip Lexi Taylor didn’t even have the luxury of a good start. They were trailing by six shots before they got on the board, and not much got better, losing by 12 shots to 28.
Maureen Lamport’s rink, with Jan Johnson, Malcolm Newham, and Bob Lamport, were also down early.
However, they made a spirited comeback to be 11 shots all with four ends to go; but Morwell then scored four shots on the next end – the only end of the game where more than two shots was scored by either team – to make the difference, Garfield losing by 14 shots to 17.
This loss has dropped the side back to fourth place on the ladder.
On Friday 21 January, Traralgon RSL rang to say that they were having a Covid issue, so the Div 5 side were forced to settle for a draw without playing.
On Saturday 22 January, a depleted Div 3 side hit the wilderness trail to go play at Boolarra.
Their journey wasn’t wasted though, as they came home winners by 107 shots to 94.
Tom Cleary skipped the team of Frank Prins, Ron Saunders and Les Pumphrey.
They found themselves at a disadvantage at the start, as their opponents ran out to a nine-shot lead after five ends.
After that, the game was both even and high scoring, but that nine shots was the same difference at the end, with the team losing by 25 shots to 34.
Graeme Burton, Alan White, Anthony Young and skip Shane Oliver bolted out of the blocks, leading by 11 shots after nine ends.
A short flurry by their opponents reduced that lead to just two shots before the Garfield boys got going again, running away to win the game by an impressive 37 shots to 16.
Stephen Whyte’s team, of Alan Wilson, Bob Lamport and Gary Helmore, had an up-and-down game with their opposition; fortunately, they finished on the upswing, with nine shots in the last four ends, to win by 26 shots to 21.
Len Preece, Gary Payne, Ray Biffin and skip Steve Bassed led all day, being six shots up with just three ends to go.
However, their opponents, down but not out, scored eight shots in the last three ends to steal the game, inflicting a loss by 21 shots to 23.
-Damian Brick-
