YMGCR BOWLS CLUB
Well, the old game of bowls can have you on the ultimate high one week and down the next, but that’s sport and so it was that our mighty Midweek A1’s went down in the A1’s Grand Final to a fantastic side in Wangaratta losing 49/55.
YMGCR got off to a slow start and at no time ever hit the front. The only bright spot for the day was the rink of Stuart McNeill, Les Spencer, Robyn Moore and her side kick Gary “Batman” Presnell who won 17/14. Batman was a man on a mission as he drew shot after shot to set the rink up and then Robyn got into the act with her own telling bowls and then big Les would do what he does best and draw shots. Skip McNeill then played some fantastic skip shots when needed. They won the first six ends and were looking rock solid……BUT the only trouble was they were only getting singles and it was only a matter of time that in one end Wangaratta halved their lead 6/3. Winning the next three ends but again only with singles they jumped out to a 9/3 lead. Finally on the twelfth end they picked up a three to lead 12/4. Suddenly the Wang skip started to get into the game and the team lifted to pull the lead back and after seventeen ends YMGCR lead 13/12. McNeill’s rink then got the supremacy back and after nineteen ends got out to 17/12 lead. Last end for the rink saw Batman and Robyn all over the jack and they were holding five shots when the Wangaratta skip played the championship bowl to draw the shot (he only had inches for shot, for the young generation it was about 60 mm). Stewie tried in vain to remove their only bowl in the head but wasn’t able to. If he could’ve the game was up for grabs.
The game between Garry Sanders and Wangaratta’s top skip in Ian Brimblecombe started out well for YMGCR when Sanders led 5/2 after four ends. Wangaratta picked up a four and the game settled into a holding pattern. On the seventh end YMGCR were holding six shots only for the Wangaratta skip to draw the shot…….that hurt. With both sides only conceding single shots after ten ends the scores were 10/10 all. Wangaratta then gained the upper hand and jumped out to lead 10/17 after fifteen ends, but with Sanders’ front end of Claire Sanders and Susie Middleton still putting bowls in the head and with third Greg “GG” Green playing good solid bowls and Garry putting the opposition skip under the pump it was only a matter of time before they would cash in and they picked up a five and then followed it up with two more singles to tie the game 17/17 with only three ends to go.
In the last game poor Anne Miles rink of Snodger Lowrie, Laureen Smith and lead Rhonda Irvine got off to the worst possible start dropping nine shots in the first three ends. To their credit they never dropped their heads to make a mini fight back and when they were getting back in the game Wangaratta then won the next five ends to lead 3/16 after ten ends. But the troops dug in deep and fought back to win three of the next four to trail 12/17 after fifteen ends. Wangaratta then settled to win the next four ends with only single shots, but that was enough to put them over the line and they won 14/21. That just shows how important a good start is because YMGCR outscored Wangaratta over the last eighteen ends.
Well, it’s the end of an era. Lorraine Stone has decided to retire from Midweek Selectors after a successful ten years at the helm. Thanks for all your tireless and thankless work. (Your back will eventually heal after all the back stabbing it has taken…….JOKE).
Also, thanks to Marie Whitehead and Ray Irvine for putting teams and scores into the O&M and YMGCR websites.
Overall, the club had an outstanding Pennant season with a premiership and a runners up and two other teams playing finals and most of the other teams being competitive.
What a fantastic effort our little town of Yarrawonga had in winning three of the eight Weekend Pennant Sections and a Midweek title to go with it. Well done Club Mulwala.
Wednesday Social Bowls had 24 players and we had only one 2 game winner. That was a visitor Bruce Irvine and new bowler who has really improved over the pennant season in Denise Trubiano and they not only won they sh…t it in winning with +28. Runners up with a win and a draw were Les Wilson and Dougie McTeir with +10. Jackpot failed to go off. Lucky number winners were Shad Klodinski and Don Tipping.
Friday Social Bowls had 40 players and the winners were Bill Hidson and Sue Evans. R/U were Danny McNeill and Mick Dickson and 3rd went to Allan Goudge and Neil Loveridge. Please note Friday Social is now back full time and will be played on Good Friday.
We have decided to gather all photos and videos from the A1’s Grand Final win. If anyone who would like to send them to Claire Sanders (she is one of the only members who has the capabilities to pull this off) that would be great and if any member would like a copy, give her a stick and she will gladly put them on.
The AGM has been pushed back to May 29th. We will let you know further details later on, so if you would like to contribute to the running of the club in any capacity being it a position on any of the committees main or match or the selection panels, please the more candidates we have the better.