MILDURA WINS FASHION STAKES BUT LOSE PENNANT FINAL

Mildura took to the greens for the Pennant Final in new blue pants but finished the day with their backsides exposed while Workers spun their wheels for the first part of the match and gained traction as the afternoon wore on. 

In ideal conditions on 16 second greens Mildura got off to a flyer and led by 20 shots after the first twelve ends.   Workers regrouped and clawed back by playing consistent pressure bowls whilst Mildura looked as if they thought they had done enough.   Workers got a run on across their rinks and went into the halftime break with a five shot lead. 

After that it was all she wrote for Mildura as Workers gained in confidence and had their tails up.   Mildura were put under pressure and the cracks in their game showed.

Mildura Workingmans Bowling Club claimed the 2009 – 2010 Division One SBA Pennant title with a comprehensive 21 shot victory 80 shots to 59. 

Mildura’s gun skip Mark Eckel had a day he would rather forget losing to Peter Mitchell 16 to 34.   Its been so long since Eckel got such a touch up there’s a photo of the scoreboard thats been more widely circulated than Lara Bingle’s shower scene.   The quality of the heads on the rink left a bit to be desired but finals pressure may have had something to do with that.

Normally you could pencil Eckel in for 15 to 20 shots for his side and perhaps save that many as well but he never looked in the game and would have been lucky to draw a handful of shots over the 25 ends played.   Robbie O’Brien played a serviceable game at lead for Eckel but Marty Connors had a shocker and Peter Harrison was short all day.   Eckel gained a few consolation shots late in the game but by that time the match was already gone.

Peter Mitchell’s rink stood up on the day.   Neil McLean matched Robbie O’Brien  and was ably supported by Richard Clarke who rated well into the head.   The outstanding bowler on the rink was Gary Wescombe at third for Mitchell.   Wescombe applied pressure all day and played telling bowls.   Wescombe has had an ordinary season but stepped up to the plate on the day that counted.   With his front three giving him options Peter Mitchell was able to play positive bowls into the head and control the game.  

Mildura’s Nev Hodgetts got off to a flying start against Michael Legin.   Les Coldwell was all over the kitty like a fat kid on a boston bun and Chris Mitchell was giving Fred Bacon a porking at third.   After the first five ends Legin looked embarrassed as he was down ten shots.   Bacon made a positive call and got Legin to shift the kitty and change the head.   That resulted in a couple of shots and started some momentum for the Workers combination.   Bacon picked up his game and drew into the head and Arthur Hunter found his range at lead.   Bit by bit Legin climbed back into the game.   Coldwell had gone off and Nev Hodgetts played some tentative bowls.  

After the break the momentum continued for Legin although Grant Giddings was leading well for Mildura.   After an ordinary first half, Ron Bannister came into the game for Workers and played some cracker bowls.   At the 18th end Legin got into the lead by a shot before two poor bowls saw him drop a five.   The sides continued to play tight bowls over the final few ends before Hodgetts got over the line 27 to 26.

Workers Ace Taylor drew Wayne Gardner and was forced to save his side over several ends in the early part of the game.   Michael Kroek played a good game at lead for Taylor and had the best of Mildura’s Jack Wisneske.    Don Baird found some of his old form and played some big bowls for Taylor but the star performer  on the rink was Graeme O’Neill at third.   O’Neill had a blinder of a second half drawing into the head, making shot and playing some conversions.   He continually applied the pressure to his opposition.

Gardner’s rink struggled and had to rely on the brilliance of their skip to get them out of trouble.   Will Hodgetts played poorly at second, hardly giving a bowl all day and forcing Lindsay Lynch to play catch up bowls at third.   Although the final score was close at 20 to 16 in favour of Taylor, Gardner never looked in control of the match and lacked bowls in the head on most ends following the tea break.  

Workers can be well pleased as they went into this match as underdogs and many in their own ranks didn’t think they could pull it off.   Its marvelous what confidence and self belief can do. 

The Second Division final of Sunraysia Hearing Clinic Pennant bowls saw a change of fortunes with Mildura giving the Workers a pumping winning 81 shots to 58.

Mildura’s Neale Stevens had his rink up and about early  but then fell in a heap after the break to go down to the Worker’s Kevin Altswager 23 to 27 in a tight contest. 

John Prowse continued his good season at skip for the Blues with a tidy 24 to 17 win over Ernie King.   John Meyer was the pick of the bowlers for Prowse and Graham Tozer set things up from the lead posisition. 

Rex Eastwood has been the shining light for Workers this season but his flame was well and truly snuffed out by Gary Smallman with a 34 to 14 victory.  

Smallman’s rink of Jim Bunney, Bricky Stone and Kevin Knight never allowed their opposition breathing room.   Worker’s Wayne Long went from chocolates to boiled lollies after having a cracker game on the heavy green last week to being away with the fairies this week.

Third Division pitted Irymple Swallows against Mildura Gold.   The Swallows led the competition this season ans continued their dominance with an 89 to 56 shot victory.   The standout for the Swallows was John Doherty’s team of Scrubber Davey, Jim Stephens and Dennis Berry who handed out an absolute shellacking to Sid Walters combination 41 shots to 9.

Len McPhee was dancing on the green as his side toppled Ron Bray 28 to 14.   Greenkeeper Doug Wheaton had a solid game at third for Len.

The reliable Les Krake played into the head with great effect and was never troubled in getting up over Irymple’s Peter Lambert 33 to 20.   However credit must go Lambert who was well down early in the game but rallied to keep things tight and contribute to the overall result.