PAKENHAM Bowls Club exposed its dark side on Friday night with the First Division Pennant Team playing Mulgrave Country Club under lights at home.
A good crowd gathered to make the most of this unusual spectacle in what was at first a beautiful mid-spring evening.
However the numbers did thin out later as the night turned cold and some of those who stayed to the end even resorted to wrapping themselves in blankets.
Pakenham started well, gaining the benefit of a slight home-ground advantage and with the game well under way appeared to be coasting with a comfortable 24-shot lead.
However, at about the half way mark the visitors seemed to find another gear and the margin was quickly reduced to seven shots.
The game then see-sawed back and forth and at one stage Mulgrave were in front by two shots.
However, the home-side rallied and with only a few ends to play retook the lead.
At the end, with play on three rinks completed and Pakenham only just in front on the big scoreboard, it was still possible for Mulgrave to win or to salvage a draw with the last bowl of the night.
But it was not to be and the locals breathed a collective sigh of relief as the home side brought home an historic victory, with six-shots up and 14 valuable points in the bank.
There were some great battles across the field but in the final wash-up, Bill Johnson’s was best rink on the night with a 23 to 16 scorecard.
Pakenham One now sits in the middle of the ladder with a buffer between it and its next lower opponent.
Pakenham Two were not bothered by cold weather on Saturday afternoon as their game at Noble Park was played in the high twenties and in brilliant sunshine.
The hosts presented an excellent Tiff Dwarf green for the contest and many of the more experienced Pakenham bowlers looked forward to bowling on quality freely-running grass again.
Noble Park started well but as Pakenham grew accustomed to the surface it soon caught and passed their opponents.
Although the game was close for the rest of the afternoon, Pakenham always looked the likely victors – and this proved to be the case.
The eventual winning margin being 11 shots with two winning rinks, one drawn and 15 points gained.
Norm Box skipped the best rink, winning by 10 shots, 24 to 14. The Two’s retain their top spot on the ladder.
After last week’s unexpected walkover, Pakenham Three also looked forward to a day in the sun and enjoyed their 94 to 75 win over Moorabbin at home.
They gained 16 pennant points with three of their four rinks coming out on top and the losing rink only going down by two shots.
Honours for the best winning rink were shared by husband and wife skips Graham and Joyce Andrus who both returned winning margins of eight shots.
Pakenham Three is also on top of the ladder with a clear buffer to Narre Warren in second.
Pakenham Four continued punching above its weight in the Peninsula Region and suffered another loss, this time at home against Seaford.
Best performed rink was skipped by Tom Buchanan with a winning margin of seven shots.
It is hoped that next year this side will be returned to the metropolitan competition where it should be placed in a more appropriate division.
On the midweek front, the all-conquering Pakenham Open side finally suffered its first loss for the season, beaten at Sandringham 72 to 57.
However it retains top spot on the ladder, on equal points with Sandringham but well ahead on percentage.
