OCEAN GROVE BOWLS
MIDWEEK
WITH six matches completed and a third of the way through the season, already Midweek Pennant has returned a mixed bag of results.
Reigning premiers and back to back winners of Division One the side is yet to hit their full potential.
Showing signs of form at various stages a win in the last match against top side City Of Geelong was crucial to the team’s chance of staying in touch with the top four. Lorraine Kirk with the support of a red hot Adele Ryan. Marg Carroll and Gary Burkett led the way with their team’s 35-14 rink win which set up the win by 11 shots.
The prize of top of the table leader after six matches was enough to inspire the Division Two team. Ocean Grove legend Val Cook steered the Grovers’ second side to a seven-shot victory overall. Kerri Simpson held on for a draw while Marlene Sutton kept their rink’s loss to a minimum only going down by one.
Division Four remains within striking distance of the four on the back of three wins in a row which included a last-bowl thriller against Leopold. Skipper Lorraine Oliver delivered the goods to get the side the major share of the points with a last bowl of the match conversion.
Dominating the carpet at home against City of Geelong the Division Six outfit controlled the match. Skipper Marlene Ross with Heather Allan, Barb Nicol and Peter Corcoran chipped in to record a 13-shot win while Trish O’Brien showed she has what it takes with her team of John Babb, Loretta Curwood and Harold Curwood just as good with their 14-shot margin.
SATURDAY
Premier Division, with wins against Queenscliff and City Oval and a one shot loss, have started the season in fine form.
The team needed to make a statement in their away trip to City Oval. The 2015 premiers accepted the challenge and come away with a massive 63-shot and 18 points clean sweep of their Ballarat opponents.
Division One has also started well. Their round one challenge was last year’s relegated Premier Division side Torquay was always going to be a tough ask. Wins against Highton and St Leonards have showed they have what it takes. Rod Swan with Andy Wright, Warren Davis and Adam Bateup led the way in round two with their thumping 36-18 win.
Round Four and it was a consistent 16-player contribution that got the job done with all teams registering points. Alan Callow with Chris Harling, Linda Flapper and Troy Thomson plus 8 and Lorraine Myers, Ray Moloney, Joan Tennent and Alf Vella plus 8 were the major contributors.
In Division Five Patricia Virtue skipped her side of the reliable Elaine Price, Brendan Carroll and Keith Goldsmith to a 10-shot win while Ocean Grove’s Brian Ryan seven-shot up and Bill Ryan’s one shot victory was enough to get the job done.
Kevin Beardsley had his charges firing as they took on Bareena on the grass at home. Bob Heard, Shane Thorley and Marianne Rogan controlled their match to win 33-16.
John Hoult plus 9 and Trev McArdle plus 10 returned to the scales from their match at Bell Post Hill with the major points of the match locked in the float.
GBR CHAMPIONS
Four championships have already been locked in the cabinet at Ocean Grove. Joan Tennent won the GBR over 60 ladies singles title defeating Di Roberts from Queenscliff 21-19. It was a come from behind win in the semi-final against clubmate and fellow Division One skipper Faye Richardson when the scores locked at 20 a piece saw Tennant advance to the final scoring the one shot required on the final end. Joan will now compete for a state title at Ocean Grove on 16 and 17 November.
Tennent made it a double when she steered her triple of Lorraine Myers and Judith Jenkins to a crown in the GBR Ladies State Triples.
Ken Thomas, Tony Joel and Matt Flapper went head to head with teammates Owen Clark, Adam Bateup and Mick West. It was the Flapper-led side that proved too good to get the win and book their spot in Bendigo for the State Champions week in April 2017.
Thomas made it two from two finals after joining forces with Owen Clark to reign supreme in the GBR over 60 pairs championship.
Shane Thorley threw down the challenge to his younger opponent in the GBR Novice singles played at Clifton Springs. Thorley, up against Leopold’s Brad Pavey in the final, threw everything at his opponent but it was not enough to go down in a cliffhanger 19-21.
Ken ‘Moose’ Thomas returned from Western Australia as a National Champion. Thomas returned to state competition after a spell to represent Victoria along with fellow Geelong players Craig Elliott and Steve Sullivan in the National Over 60 Sides Championship and managed to take the gold medal ahead of NSW.
