PAKENHAM BOWLS CLUB
WEEKEND PENNANT
DIVISION 1 – ROUNDS 16-17
Pakenham One played the third double-header of the season over the weekend.
Saturday saw them at home against Cheltenham who were second on the ladder and a team which had roughed them up somewhat in round seven.
The Lions made it clear from the outset that they were not prepared to accept a second hiding, particularly on their own turf, and after the completion of the first twenty ends, with three rinks in front and the score at 29/14, had more than doubled their opponents’ tally.
For some reason Pakenham then seemed to lose the plot for a while and by the half way mark, with only one rink in front, and a second level pegging, had dropped behind by six shots.
However whatever ‘Big Dev’ said in his half time rev-up obviously worked as by the start of the business ends the Lions had three rinks up again and had regained the lead, albeit by a single shot.
They then powered home, outscoring the visitors by 32 shots to 11 over the last twenty ends to record a convincing 94 to 72 shot win.
Best rink with 26/9 was Chris Fox (S), Steve ‘Krusty’ Bentley (3), David Laird (2) and Ross Pitama (L).
Unfortunately, the Ones were unable to carry that winning feeling through to Sunday’s game at Parkdale.
In the early stages of that game, and even up to the half way mark where they had two rinks in front and were behind by only eight shots, the Lions always looked a chance.
However, as the game progressed, the Parkers just seemed to get better and eventually ground out a 93 to 71 shot win.
Pakenham’s only winning rink with 19/16 was Geoff ‘Voota’ Van Vugt (S), Max Mannic (3), Paul Currie (2) and Terry ‘Tmac’ McRedmond (L).
The weekend’s action left them in sixth spot and no longer in contention for a place in the finals.
The ones will play the final round of their season against Mulgrave Country Club (seventh) at home under lights on Friday evening – kickoff at 6:30pm.
DIVISION 3 – RD14
With nothing but pride at stake, Pakenham Two (eighth) lined up against the clear ladder leaders at Hampton Park on Saturday for the last game of their season.
Despite the disparity in ladder positions, the game was not as one-sided as might have been anticipated by the host team and after the first twenty ends both sides had two rinks up and at that stage the Redbacks led by only four shots.
By the half way mark it was still two up and two down, but by then the home side had increased its lead to eight shots.
From that point the game slowly drifted out of the Lions’ grasp and despite outscoring their opponents over the last twenty ends, with the score at 58 shots to 73, they eventually lost by 15 shots.
The only winning rink with 19 shots to 17 was ‘Stormin’ Norm Box (S), Allister Stewart (3), Helen Wright (2) and Gary ‘Crow’ Crowley (L).
DIVISION 5 – RD14
Pakenham Three (fourth) also played Hampton Park (second) but had the home ground advantage in what was expected to be a close game.
In the early stages the Lions lagged behind, and after approximately quarter of the game had been completed, had only one rink up and were down 14 shots to 20. However by the half way mark, the home side had one up and one all square and the deficit had been reduced to a single shot.
There was little change from that point to the start of the business ends although by then it was back to one up and three down and Pakenham was four shots behind.
Then in a spirited run home the Lions outscored the visitors over the last 20 ends to snatch victory by just one shot, with two up and two down and the score at 73 to 72.
The better of the two winning rinks with 23 to 17 was Ray Leggett (S), Adrian ‘A-Train’ Wheelan (3), Ray Illing (2) and Ian Kitt (L).
The win elevated the Threes from fourth to third on the ladder, displacing Monbulk.
They will play Hampton Park at Hampton Park in the first round of the finals next Saturday.
MIDWEEK – RD13
DIVISION 2
Now with three wins on the trot and four from the last five, Pakenham One is showing a run of good form at the business end of the season.
They started slowly last Tuesday in their home game against cross-town rivals Cardinia Waters but as the day advanced they gradually built up a comfortable overall lead – two shots after the first fifteen ends became 17 at the half way mark and 22 by the start of the run home.
The final result was a 21-shot win with two rinks up and the third falling short by just four shots. Best rink with 28/15 was Glenn ‘Google’ Bainbridge (S), Steve ‘Krusty’ Bentley (3), Peter Bott (2) and Gary ‘Crow’ Crowley (L).
The win has cemented the Ones’ position on the third rung of the ladder, now 22 points ahead of Edithvale but 27 behind Narre Warren.
They play away at Churchill Waverley Golf (sixth) in the final round – regardless of the outcome of that game they are guaranteed to finish in third spot and will get a guernsey in the finals. Their opponent in round one will be either The Dandenong Club or Narre Warren – however at this stage it is not possible to predict which, as those top two sides are currently separated by just a single point.
DIVISION 3
Pakenham Two had a tough day at the office and copped a bit of a hiding at Cranbourne RSL.
They were behind at all of the milestones and unfortunately never looked like winning, eventually losing comprehensively with the score at 43 shots to 77.
The one winning rink, with 20 to 19, was David Moore (S), Rick Burns (3), Ray Illing (2) and Luis Aguilar (L).
The loss saw the Twos drop from fifth to sixth on the ladder and they now have no chance of making the final four. They will be playing for pride against Berwick (fourth) at home in round 14.
-Des Leigh-
