This month sees bowls ramp up again in preparation for the 2024/25 Pennant season with players from Cardinia Waters Bowls Club getting in practice games last week against Garfield and Blue Hills.
Although being clubs we don’t normally play competitions against, they are good friends that we are socially involved with.
Cardinia Waters players are looking forward to the new season with renewed vigor, and have entered an extra team in the Metropolitan competition.
Saturday Pennant sees us with teams in divisions four and eight, with teams in division two and five to take part in Tuesday competition.
Both practice games saw small losses, but it was the Blue Hills game that really benefitted the Cardinia Waters team most.
A total of 28 players made the journey to the Cranbourne retirement village, and were greeted by a very slow and heavy synthetic green; in stark contrast to our own fast and dry green.
So, practice on different surfaces always helps.
The draw this year sees Cardinia Waters play many away games on grass greens and getting practice on slow and heavy greens gave the players an insight into what may be ahead of them.
After the Blue Hills game, the players gathered in the Community Centre to receive their new bowls shirts, made possible by sponsorship from Centennial Living.
This week sees the official season opening event, and another practice game against Lang Lang at home.
This game is on AFL Grand Final day, but is expected to be an early start and finish, so as not to miss the big game.
Before the first Pennant game on October 19, the club has another three practice games.
Cardinia Waters Bowls Club lost a great supporter recently with the passing of Ray Clarke.
A larger-than-life character, Ray was on a cruise in Europe when he died unexpectedly.
Many bowlers attended his funeral at Springvale.
-John Moore-
