PAKENHAM BOWLS
In contrast to the situation in round six where some games were abandoned under the heat rule, prevailing weather conditions on Saturday resulted in a number of washouts.
Fortunately, however, none of those affected Pakenham.
Pakenham One (Div 1) played another Friday night game, this time at Cranbourne.
Fortunately, conditions for this game were fine (Cranbourne does not have a roof) although quite windy.
The Lions did not start well and by the completion of the first twenty ends, with the score at 14 to 27, the locals had virtually doubled Pakenham’s tally.
That situation had only marginally improved at the half-way mark with the mauling which was being inflicted on one of the Lions’ rinks negating the good lead being built up by Tommy Lodge’s crew. However, by the start of the business ends the overall difference was only 11 shots and unlikely as it was, given the way the game had progressed, a win was still within reach for the visitors. Unfortunately, Cranbourne was the stronger side over the home straight and with two rinks up and one drawn, recorded a reasonably comfortable 22-shot win.
Pakenham’s best rink with 19 to 16 was Tommy Lodge (S), Wayne Parks (3), Janis Parks (2) and Terry “TMac” McRedmond (L).
At the half-way point in the home and away rounds, the Ones sit on the fourth rung of the ladder, now two points behind Cranbourne and nine up on Cheltenham.
They will start the reverse rounds with a home game against Mentone.
Despite any small home-ground advantage, this match presents a huge challenge and they will be pushing the proverbial uphill as the “Edge” are clear ladder leaders and have yet to drop a game this season.
Pakenham Two (Div 3) were at home to ladder leaders Edithvale.
The Lions took a while to fire up and after the first twenty ends, with two up and two down, trailed by eight shots, while at that stage one rink had yet to register a score.
However, once they built up momentum, there was no stopping them.
By the half-way mark, they had three rinks up and with the score at 52 to 33 had turned an eight-shot deficit into a 19-shot lead.
After the break, the game turned into something of an arm wrestle with neither side able to gain further advantage and at the start of the run home Pakenham still held a 19-shot lead, although at that point they had two up and two all square.
The Lions then finished the better, to end the day with three up, one down and with the final score at 92 shots to 63, a comfortable win.
Best rink with 29 to 11 was Peter Bott (S), Charles Harris (3), Vince Bevilacqua (2) and Luis Aguilar (L). The Twos have displaced Edithvale at the top of the ladder and are now three points up on that club and fifteen clear of both Dandenong and Narre Warren.
They will be away at Narre next round.
Pakenham Three encountered marginal conditions at Upwey Tecoma – the green was sodden; light rain fell for almost the entire game and there were rooster tails following some bowls down the green.
However, with Pakenham on top of the ladder and Upwey only three points behind, the locals were understandably keen to play, regardless of the weather.
The game was reasonably close in the early stages and at the completion of the first twenty ends both sides had two rinks up but the locals held a five-shot lead.
By the half-way mark, it was still two up and two down, although at that stage the Lions were in front but only by two shots.
The Tigers kicked on after the break and with one of Pakenham’s rinks struggling, they established a 12-shot lead by the start of the business ends.
Upwey Tecoma then proved to be better suited to the wet track, finishing the game with three up and with the score at 87 to 63, a winning margin of 24 shots.
Pakenham’s only winning rink was Paul Currie (S), David Moore (3), Gayle Harkness (2) and Karen Oosthuizen (L).
The Tigers have taken top spot on the ladder, now 11 points clear of Pakenham with Dandenong only three points further behind.
The Threes will be away again next round, at Monbulk (fifth).
Pakenham Four (Div 7) continued the pattern of slow starts in their home game against Narre Warren and this probably cost them a win.
After twenty ends they had only one rink in front and were down 10 shots to 25.
By the half-way mark there had only been a slight improvement in the situation with the deficit having been reduced to 12 shots but the Lions had only one rink in front at that stage and that was by just one shot.
They made little inroads into the deficit during the final stages of the game and at 70 to 80 finished 10 shots behind.
However, with two winning rinks, they did collect four Pennant points.
The better of the two winning rinks with 23 to 10 was Ken “Lipton” Clifton (S), Graham Cooper (3), Trent “Rowdy” Bedford (2) and Bill Bosch (L).
Remarkably, this rink dropped the first five ends in a row but recovered, winning the last seven on the trot to win by 13 shots.
The Fours have retained second spot on the ladder but are now 27 points behind Berwick, only three ahead of Narre Warren and nine up on Ferntree Gully.
They play the Gully at home next round.
MIDWEEK
Pakenham One (Div 1) would have been disappointed last Tuesday to have come home from Mulgrave Country Club with only a draw.
They were well in that game all day – after the first fifteen ends it was one up, one down and one all square with the home side holding a one-shot lead.
By the half-way mark however, the Lions led by 33 shots to 24 with two up.
At the start of the business ends, Pakenham was still in the driver’s seat with two up and one level although at that stage their lead had been cut to six shots.
Unfortunately, Mulgrave then applied the greater pressure over the final fifteen ends and the game ended in a draw.
The Lions finished with only one winning rink; “Nifty” Nev Brown (S), Ron Dalton (3), Claire Smyth (2) and David Saint (L).
The Ones have retained second spot on the ladder, now nine points behind Dandenong but only two in front of Mulgrave and seven up on Keysborough.
They will be home to Keysborough in round seven.
Apart from a thrashing at the hands of Upwey Tecoma, Pakenham Two has been competitive all season yet it has been unable to crack it for that elusive win.
Last Tuesday, at home against Narre Warren, they were in touch all day and actually had their noses in front (albeit by just one shot) at the start of the business ends but were run down in the home straight and eventually lost by 10 shots.
The Two’s only winning rink was Rick Burns (S), Peter Wilson (3), Brian Norton (2) and Julian Colmegna (L) with 20 shots to 17.
This rink dropped six ends in a row during the middle stages of the game but regrouped to outscore their opponents by 13 shots to two after lunch.
The Twos next outing will be across town at Cardinia Waters.
Pakenham Three joined the Ones at Mulgrave where they made a very unconvincing start to be two down and seven shots to 20 behind after the first fifteen ends.
They were still two down at the half-way mark but by that stage had made inroads into Mulgrave’s lead which had been cut to seven shots.
The locals came out firing after the break and by the start of the run home again had their lead out to 13 shots with two rinks well up.
They then applied some serious pressure, outscoring the Lions by more than two shots to one over the last fifteen ends to finish with all rinks up and a final score of 68 shots to 42.
The Threes are now fourth, five points behind Berwick but ahead of Churchill Waverley Golf by percentage only and with Keysborough only one point behind. They will be home to Keysborough next round.
HI-LO
The winner for round seven was Gary “Crow” Crowley with number 27.
-Des Leigh-