PAKENHAM BOWLS
All four weekend sides recorded wins on Friday/Saturday and are now locked into the top four and are guaranteed a spot in the finals.
The number of home finals is yet to be determined.
Pakenham One (Div 1) played Parkdale at home under lights on Friday night.
The Lions got away to a steady start to lead 18-14 with two up and two down after the first twenty ends with Foxy’s rink winning the first six ends on the trot; an indication, perhaps, of what was to come.
Pakenham then outscored the visitors by 36-19 over the next 24 ends to establish a healthy 54-33 lead with three up and one down at the half-way mark.
During the second half of the game, the Lions marginally outscored Parkdale to chalk up a convincing 94-68 win and with three rinks up collected 16 of the available Pennant points.
It was almost a clean sweep as the rink which lost only went down by a single shot.
Best rink with 26 to10 was Chris “Foxy” Fox (S), Wayne Parks (3), Max Mannik (2) and Joshua Kennedy (L).
The Ones are still on the second rung of the ladder, now only 14 points behind Mentone, 11 up on Cheltenham and 14 on Mulgrave.
Cheltenham is showing some serious form at the pointy end of the season, having knocked off Mentone at Mentone last Saturday.
Mentone on the other hand is no longer looking invincible, having now been beaten three times this season (Pakenham was responsible for one of those losses).
The Ones will be away to Mulgrave next round and will be home to Cranbourne (fifth) for round 14.
Pakenham Two (Div 3) were away at Cheltenham, a venue which has always presented a challenge.
There was not much in that game during the early stages and after the first 20 ends, despite having three rinks up, the Lions were only in front by 19 shots to 16.
From Pakenham’s perspective, the situation improved over the next twenty ends or so and they went into afternoon tea with a lead of 43-28, still with three rinks in front.
Cheltenham pushed back hard after the break and at times reduced the deficit to single figures but with Peter Bott’s rink leading the way the Lions always held the lead.
At the start of the business ends the score was 59-48 and the home side still had their hopes up but overall, they were outscored over the run home and Pakenham took a hard fought 25 shot, 83-58 victory with two up, one level and one down.
Best rink with the score 30-8 was Peter Bott (S), Paul Currie (3), Vince Bevilacqua (2) and Luis Aguilar (L). The Twos are now top of the ladder, three points ahead of Dandy, 10 in front of Narre and 15 up on Edithvale. They have a tough run home, with Dandy at Pakenham in round 13 and Edithvale away (always a danger game) in the final round.
Pakenham Three (Div 5) had a big win at home against Berwick.
With two rinks bolting out of the blocks, the Lions led 30-11 after the first twenty ends and there was no easing of the pressure in the following stanza.
By the mid-way mark, with three up and one all square, their lead had grown to a very comfortable 61-27.
After the break, there was more of the same and the home side arrived at the start of the business ends with all four rinks up and a huge 93-37 lead.
They then cruised home, cracking the ton on the way, to win 113-55 and collected maximum Pennant points. Best rink with 37-11 was Trent Gribbin (S), Peter Wilson (3), Michael Hahn (2) and Julian Colmegna (L).
The Threes are still on top of the ladder, 12 points up on Upwey Tecoma, 21 on Dandy and 32 on Berwick. They will be away to Narre (sixth) next week and home to Upwey Tecoma in round 14.
As they had the bye, Pakenham Four (Div 7) was unable to collect any Pennant points last week but they certainly made up for it on Saturday.
Playing at home against Upwey Tecoma, they hit the ground running and with three up and one down had established a lead of 30-16 after the first twenty ends.
By the midway point of their match, at 65-20, the Lions had more than tripled the Tigers’ score and there was no reduction in pressure after the break.
With twenty ends left to play the score had blown out to 99-26 and from there the home side romped home to win by 132-35 with four winning rinks.
Best rink with an incredible 42-9 was “Stormin” Norm Box (S), Judith Ferrari (3), Maree Taylor (2) and Brenda Moloney (L).
Incidentally, Norm also sits on top of the individual player ratings for the division, by a margin which is unlikely to see him toppled by the end of the season.
The huge win has taken the Fours to the top of the ladder, nine points ahead of Berwick, 23 up on Narre and 33 on Ferntree Gully.
They are home to Berwick next round then away to Narre.
Berwick is home to Upwey Tecoma in the last round and would expect a win from that game while Ferntree Gully have the bye next weekend and therefore have no chance of catching up.
Narre are away at Upwey Tecoma next round.
The Fours can keep it simple by beating both Berwick and Narre.
MIDWEEK
The Midweek Ones (Div 1) found they had an unexpected battle on their hands, away at Burden Park, who sit bottom of the ladder.
After the first fifteen ends they had two rinks in front but led by just 12 shots to 10.
By lunch time the margin was still only two shots but at that stage the Lions had only one winning rink.
The other two rinks were never quite able to get their noses in front during the remainder of the game – fortuitously, however, the winning rink continued to outscore its direct opponent and provided cover.
At the end of play, Pakenham won 58-47 with one winning rink and collected 12 Pennant points.
The winning rink with 28-11 was Terry “TMac” McRedmond (S), Max Mannik (3), David Laird (2) and Paul Philip (L).
The Ones are still second on the ladder, now 14 points behind Mulgrave, three ahead of Dandenong and 27 up on Keysborough.
They will be home to Clayton (sixth) next round.
Pakenham Two’s dismal year continued with a loss to fifth-placed Edithvale One.
The home side was never in the hunt in that game.
With one rink up and two down, the score was 7-16 after fifteen ends, 19-36 at the break and 28-60 at the start of the business ends.
The final score was 33-86 with all rinks down.
The Twos next outing will be away against Cranbourne One, third.
Pakenham Three (Div 4) shared the dome with the twos but for an even better outcome.
Playing Monbulk Three, they jumped away to grab a good lead of 21-9 after the first fifteen ends, with two up and one down.
Rick Burns’ rink won the first five on the trot and was 14 to nil up at that stage.
By the half-way mark, it was still two up and one down but at 39-18 the Lions had more than doubled their opponents’ score.
By the start of the business ends all three Lions rinks had their noses in front and the score had blown out to 58-23.
Although one of Pakenham’s rinks then lost its way, the home side coasted to a 74-39 win with two up.
Best rink with 43-5 was Rick Burns (S), Brian Norton (3), Gayle Harkness (2) and Luis Aguilar (L).
The Threes remain in fifth spot, 14 points behind Keysborough and 16 (a full round) ahead of Ferntree Gully; they are catching Keysborough.
Their next game will be away at Churchill Waverley Golf (seventh).
HI-LO
The winner for round 12 was Paul Currie with number six.
-Des Leigh-
