PAKENHAM BOWLS
How good are those Lions? Pakenham fielded seven Pennant teams for season 2024-25 and five of those sides featured in the finals, winning three Sectional Pennants, including for the first time, both the Weekend and Midweek Division One titles.
And the outstanding season may not yet be over as at the time of writing, the Midweek Div 1 side was still to play in the Divisional Grand Final against Deer Park on Tuesday 11 March 2025.
SATURDAY
It was bright and sunny and the (grass) greens were in beautiful condition at Noble Park last Saturday as Pakenham Four (Div 7) and Berwick Six commenced what would prove to be an epic encounter.
Both sides had a good crowd of noisy supporters in attendance and they had plenty to get excited about.
After the first 20 ends it seemed that a great deal of energy had been expended for no tangible result, as at that stage the score was 20 all and each side had two up and two down; and that was not the only time during the game when the scores were dead level.
However, although the Wickers took the lead a couple of times, the Lions generally appeared to have the upper hand (only just) but never by a comfortable margin.
At afternoon tea time, at 45 to 40, Pakenham had their noses in front by five shots and were well up on two rinks but struggling on one of those which was down.
After the break, coach “Nifty” Nev Brown called the players together for a pep talk (you could hardly call “Nifty’s” addresses a “rev up”) which, unfortunately, did not have the desired result as by the start of the business ends, they had lost the lead and were actually trailing by five shots.
Then, with the end in sight, the fun began and the crowd really got involved.
Although a number of the Lions were showing visible signs of heat stress, they dug deep and really took the game up to their opponents.
With 77 ends played they had taken the score to 73 all and at 80 ends, with only four to go, the score was 76 all. Then, on their 20th end, “Stormin” Norm Box’s rink picked up a vital five which was only the second big multiple of the game (they also collected a five on the 12th) and the rink which was copping a hiding outscored its opponent over the last five ends to limit the damage.
In yet another close final (there have been a number this season, with a couple decided by just one shot), Pakenham won the game and the Section Pennant with an overall score of 82 shots to 76.
The best rink with 26 to 16 was “Stormin” Norm Box (skip), Russell Jones (3rd), Ray Illing (2nd) and Brenda Moloney (lead).
The other members of the Pennant winning team were: Eric Peterson (skip), Gary “Crow” Crowley (3rd), Frank Grant (2nd), Ian McKenzie (lead); Ken “Lipton” Clifton (skip), Graham Cooper (3rd), Trent “Rowdy” Bedford (2nd), Bill Bosch (lead); Bruce Perry (skip), Ray Leggett (3rd), Alan Waterson (2nd) and Karen Rayner (lead).
That was the end of a great season for the Fours; there are no Divisional finals for that Division.
MIDWEEK
It was yet another hot, sunny day at Cheltenham last week when Pakenham One (Div 1) turned out on neutral ground for their Sectional Grand Final match against Mulgrave.
Mulgrave had previously beaten Pakenham by 10 shots at Mulgrave in the second semi-final but Pakenham had “bounced back,” narrowly winning the preliminary final against Dandenong by just one shot.
There was never much in this game at any stage. After the first 15 ends, with one up, one down and one level, it was Mulgrave which held the lead but only by a single shot.
By lunch time, with two down and one up, the Lions were still behind but with the score sitting at 25 to 29, they remained in touch.
After the break, one Pakenham rink began to drift backwards but the other two had come out firing and were more than covering the shortfall.
With 15 ends left to play, the Lions had regained the lead (by one shot) and again had two rinks in front.
At the completion of the 54th end, the scores were dead level at 45 apiece and there was talk of the possibility of a drawn game and the requirement to play an additional end.
However Pakenham wanted it more and with the rink which was in strife outscoring its opponent by six shots to two over the final five ends, (including a magnificent conversion by “TMac” on the last), they got home to win the Pennant by six shots.
The best rink with 18 to 13 was “Nifty” Nev Brown (skip), Claire Smyth (3rd), Vince Bevilacqua (2nd) and David “Sainter” Saint (lead).
The other members of this champion side were: John “JP” Parker (skip), Chris “Foxy” Fox (3rd), Keith “Golden Arm” Archer (2nd), David Leitch (lead); Terry “TMac” McRedmond (skip), Ned Courtin (3rd), David Laird (2nd) and Paul Philip (lead).
It was good to see “Rotten” Ronnie Dalton watching the game and supporting his team mates – Rotten had played in the side all season, only to be injured at the eleventh hour.
It’s best not to make any other plans when you are on a winning roll – the Ones had to turn out again at Boronia on Thursday for a Divisional Semi-Final against Heathmont which had turned the tables against Croydon in the Section Three Grand Final.
As one moves up to Divisional Finals, one might expect that the games will get harder and that proved to be the case for three quarters of the encounter at Boronia.
With the first 15 ends under their belts, Pakenham led by 13 shots to 10 with one up, one down and one level.
Soon after however, things took a turn for the worse and they found that by lunch time, although they had two rinks in front, the third had completely lost its way and they were down overall by two shots.
That pattern continued after the break and at the start of the business ends the Lions were in strife, 10 shots behind in a low scoring game, with one up, two down and one of those by a large margin.
Something then clicked in the run home (whatever it was, it should be bottled).
Nifty’s rink had been two down but outscored its opponent by 12 shots to nil over the last five ends while TMac’s crew which was being slaughtered, completely turned their game around and scored 11 to one over the same period.
Pakenham finished with a great, come from behind, 63 to 49 win.
The best rink with 21 to eight was John “JP” Parker (skip), Chris “Foxy” Fox (3rd), Keith “Golden Arm” Archer (2nd) and David Leitch (lead). The other members of the team were the same as named in the Tuesday line up.
The Ones now progress to the Divisional Grand Final against Deer Park 1 at MCC Bowls Hawthorn, for a crack at the “big” flag.
-Des Leigh-
