PAKENHAM BOWLS
Division 2 Midweek Semi-Final
The Dandenong Club has always been hard to beat on its home turf.
In the semi-final played there last Tuesday Pakenham One, the Division 2 Midweek side, found that nothing had changed, they were up against it yet again and had a battle on their hands from the word go.
After the first 15 ends of that game, thanks largely to a seven picked up by Paul Currie’s rink on the first end, there was only one shot between the two sides on the overall scoreboard and at that stage Pakenham had two rinks up, although in both cases it was only by a whisker.
The host side then settled into a relentless style of bowling in which they began to set up their win.
By the half-way mark Dandenong had established a 13-shot lead and had all three up, while one of the Lions’ rinks which had previously been in front was dropping away dramatically.
The host side had only increased its lead to 17 shots by the start of the business ends and at that stage Pakenham had one all square and one trailling by just three shots– however the third rink was copping a hiding and appeared to be in a position from which it would be impossible to recover.
Dandenong then outscored the Lions over the last 15 ends to power home to an emphatic 30-shot win while the Lions were left to lick their wounds and look forward to a better result next season.
Despite losing, the Ones should be proud that they made the finals, finishing on the third rung of the Pennant ladder.
The team members were Glenn ‘Google’ Bainbridge (Skip), Steve ‘Krusty’ Bentley (3), Peter Bott (2) and Gary ‘Crow’ Crowley (L); Paul Currie (Skip), ‘Stormin’ Norm Box (3), Derek Spraggon (2) and David Saint (L); and Max Mannic (Skip), Terry ‘TMac’ McRedmond (3), David Laird (2) and Lindsay Stevenson (L).
The Dandenong Club was then defeated in the grand final by the 2021-22 ladder leaders, Narre Warren.
The Pakenham Bowls Club is currently opening its doors and welcoming club champions from right across Victoria who are competing in the early rounds of the Champion of Champions, with the eventual champion to win the Victorian title.
The club is also looking forward to hosting its huge two-day tournament, the Paky 5000, on the weekend of 2-3 April.
-Des Leigh-
