PAKENHAM BOWLS CLUB – ROUND 4
SATURDAY
The Division One side’s disappointing start to the season continued on Saturday with another loss, this time at Bacchus Marsh.
The Lions got off to a good start and after the first twenty ends, with three up and one all square, had a nice lead of 26 shots to nine.
By the half-way mark that lead had been reduced to nine shots but the visitors still had three rinks in front. However, from that point forward, the locals turned the game around and at the start of the business ends although both sides had two rinks up, the Bushrangers held a five-shot lead.
From that point the Lions fell away and eventually went down by 19 shots.
Pakenham’s only winning rink with 22 to 20 was Chris “Foxy” Fox (S), Max Mannik (3), Dave Wood (2) and David Saint (L).
Now ninth on the ladder, the One’s face Mitchum (third) at home next round.
In direct contrast to the One’s situation, Pakenham Two (Div 4) could not have wished for a much better start to their season.
After three rounds they were on top of the ladder, on equal points with Berwick but ahead on percentage – the round four match (at home) against Berwick therefore gave both sides an opportunity to claim clear ladder leadership.
The game started pretty much as the Lions would have wished – after twenty ends two rinks held a narrow one-shot lead, one was down by a shot, but the fourth was ahead by 10 and the overall margin was 11 shots.
By the half way mark the lead had grown to 21 shots and Pakenham had two rinks in front, one all square and one trailling by just two.
The Lions kept the pressure on after the break and with three rinks up and one down by just a single shot, held a 37-shot lead as the game entered the business ends.
Both sides were relatively even in the run home but Pakenham finished with three winning rinks and an overall lead of 41 shots – they are now almost a full round clear at the top of the ladder.
The best of Pakenham’s rinks with 33 shots to eight was Des “Grizzly” Leigh (S), Paul “Welcome Back” Currie (3), Lindsay Stevenson (2) and Gary “Crow” Crowley (L).
The Two’s have a short trip across town to Cardinia Waters (fifth) next round.
The Div 6 Thirds have also started the season well.
On Saturday they travelled to Boronia to play Upwey-Tecoma, a club which unfortunately has seen its home green quite severely flood damaged.
As both sides generally play on a synthetic surface it took a little time to adjust to the Boronia grass – however it was the Tigers who came to grips with it first and after the first twenty ends they had three rinks in front and a lead of 13 shots.
The Lions then seemed to switch on and by the half-way mark had two rinks in front and led by the narrowest of margins – a single shot.
With only twenty ends left that lead had grown marginally to four shots but it was whittled down in the run home and the Lions finished with two rinks in front and got their noses over the line by a single shot.
Pakenham’s best rink with 22 to 12 was Vince Bevilacqua (S), Allister Stewart (3) Alan Waterson (2) and Ryan “Grill” McGill (L).
The Threes are on top of the ladder, six points ahead of Narre Warren Five and will be home to Ferntree Gully Four (third) next round.
Pakenham Four (Div 7) faced an uphill battle again last Saturday, forced to take the field four players short (that’s 168 fewer bowls than their opponents had – a huge handicap!).
Their enthusiasm and spirit is to be applauded as they play the game with very little chance of a win – nevertheless, they have been involved in two tight, single figure losses thus far.
Their game against Edithvale progressed very much along the lines which could have been predicted – after twenty ends the Lions somehow had one rink in front but the visitors were outscoring them by two to one overall.
By the half-way mark it was three down and one all square but by then the score had blown out to three to one.
It was more of the same from that point onward until the game finished with the score at 55 to 112 and Edithvale winning all four rinks.
The trio of Gail Bowman (S), Kevin Holley (3) “Unavailable” (2) and David Laird (L) fought all day to finish just one shot down.
Now seventh, the Four’s will be away to Cranbourne Four (third) next round.
MIDWEEK
Pakenham One (Div 2) hosted the powerful Dandenong Club for what was expected to be a hard-fought match. However, led by Neil “Big Dev” Devlin having his first Tuesday outing, the Lions quickly took control of the game and after the first fifteen ends had established a lead of 28 shots to seven.
By the half-way mark the lead had grown to 33 shots and the home side had all three rinks in front.
The visitors clawed their way back into the game after the break but it was a case of too little too late and with the final score at 78 to 53, Pakenham ran out comfortable 25 shot winners and with two successful rinks collected 14 Pennant points.
Best rink with 38 shots to 11 was Neil “Big Dev” Devlin (S), Glenn “Google” Bainbridge (3), Keith “Golden Arm” Archer (2) and Peter Bott (L).
The Ones hold top spot on the ladder, 10 points ahead of Dandy.
They play Carrum One (seventh) away, next round.
With about a third of the match completed, Pakenham Two’s game at Noble Park was washed out.
This was disappointing as the Lions held a handy lead and were up on all rinks when play was abandoned – a win would have earned them top spot on the ladder.
The Two’s are now in second spot, only four points behind Cranbourne Three.
They have a good chance of taking that top position next round as they are to play Cranbourne at home.
Pakenham Three had another big day out in their match against Churchill Waverley Golf Three.
They grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck from the outset and never eased up for the entire day, eventually romping home by 78 shots (104 to 26) with all three rinks up.
A couple of weeks ago Peter Wilson’s rink had a huge 50 shots to six win and I suggested that they should lock that one in the memory bank as they might never see another like it – well, they did it again last Wednesday, racking up an even bigger effort, 53 shots to four and that was with a new bowler as lead!
There have been rumblings of a stewards’ inquiry and suggestions that Peter should be swabbed.
Peter was supported by Luis Aguilar (3), Derek Fenn (2) and Shane Hamblyn (L).
The Three’s hold top spot on the ladder, more than a full round ahead of second spot which remarkably is held by Churchill Waverley Golf.
They will be away at Burden Park (third) next round.
HI-LO
The winner for round four was Keith Lewis with number 34.
-Des Leigh-
