BERWICK BOWLS
Some big results and some shock losses left the Wickers with some soul searching to do in the last couple of weeks before finals.
Some opposition clubs at this time of year have very little to play for, and others everything to play for.
For the Berwick sides, the games they should win they can’t afford to let slip and this week a couple of the sides saw first hand that taking any oppositions lightly will bring you undone.
• Berwick 1 def by Brunswick 77-84. Ladder Position: 4th
The first of the shock losses this weekend came from the top side! Playing Brunswick, who are fighting relegation, the ones hit the road knowing it was a must win. On a reasonably good green the start was slow! Brunswick got the jump with Ellard’s rink down 11-0 after just two ends which saw us on the backfoot right from the start. Being 20 shots down overall early in the game the Berwick side knew they needed to dig and fight. Covering Ellard’s rink looked a possibility half way through, with Mills rink up and Rich’s rink nosing in front. O’Donnell’s rink was in a good fight but Ellard’s rink continued to drop numbers and although Berwick hit the front on the big board with 10 ends to go they couldn’t hold on. Two rinks up, with Mills and Rich, and O’Donnell fighting all day to go down by one, but the 21-shot loss on one rink just can’t be covered at this level. It means the ones stay in 4th spot, just hanging on as Heathmont defeated Whittlesea. But, with the double header for the top side this week against the top two in Heathmont (Saturday) and Flemington/Kensington (Sunday), they are going to have to be on top of their game to still be in the four on Sunday night.
• Berwick 2 def by Clayton 3 77-81. Ladder Position: 1st
Another shock loss this week was the second side against Clayton 3 at Clayton. It’s a tough green and most clubs find it difficult to conquer, but the margins across each of the rinks saw four very one-sided games. Charlie Azzopardi won by 15 shots, Graeme Manifold went down by 16 shots, Tony French went down by 17 shots and Dennis Griffin’s rink won by 14 shots! Strange results for the twos who have been the dominant side so far this season. Again, like the ones, they may have got a little ahead of themselves prior to this one but got a pretty quick reality check. The twos went down after beating Clayton 3 by 25 shots in round five and winning all five rinks. They are still 33 points in front on top of the ladder and travel to Coatesville to take on their top side who they trounced at home in round six by 24 shots and all four rinks up. They’ll bounce back this week and bounce back hard.
• Berwick 3 def Keysborough 2 79-66. Ladder Position: 8th
They’ve done it again! The threes have won their second game for the year on the weekend and are certainly proving that using the threes as a development side is becoming a great success with our newer, inexperienced bowlers gaining such valuable experience at Division 2 level. Bruce Anderson’s rink, with David Fitzpatrick and Annie and Chris Jones belted the Greg Kelly rink by 18 shots to set the win up with Ken Graeber and Andrew Bunnell’s rinks also getting up. The three wins covered the 12-shot defeat on Roy Down’s rink comfortably and the threes sailed away with a 13-shot victory. The three’s take on Narre Warren 1 this week at home and we’d love to see them get up in this one after going down by a very respectable 20 shots in a much closer game at Narre Warren than the score suggests in round six.
• Berwick 4 def Cranbourne 3 90-64. Ladder Position: Equal 2nd
Another good win by the fours this week keeps them in the race to host a home final and finish in the top two. A massive rink-win by 19 shots from Jim Weir, Lois Adams, Doug Fisher and Rob Morley set the day up and they were backed up Marcus Zammit, Matt Nagle, Lynn McCurran and Alan Thompson. The fours are going well and with two games left against the bottom two sides their rink wins will be important. If they get all two points for each rink win, they will hopefully open up some separation from Mulgrave CC who sit with them in equal second. Mulgrave CC play top-of-the-ladder Pakenham and Cardinia Waters, so two big wins from the fours could see them finish second and host a home final.
• Berwick 5 def by Narre Warren 4 50-107. Ladder Position: 3rd
We predicted an upset for the fives to get over Narre Warren at home but it wasn’t to be! They were comprehensively beaten with two rinks going down by 31 and 23 respectively. That just can’t be covered and we aren’t sure about the details yet but you’d think with our fifth playing their fourth side, shot selection and performance just didn’t cut it for the fives. They’ve stayed in equal third spot, but now on equal points with Edithvale 2 and Keysborough 3. The fives host Burden Park this week, probably under the dome, so they’ll need to be on fire to recover from the loss this week. Results could go their way in other games too, so it’s a close watch on this one to see how the ladder ends up on Saturday night.
• Berwick 6 def by Cranbourne RSL 60-95. Ladder Position: 2nd
It’s always a tough green to play on but the sixes really should have been on the winners list against a side out of the four and 55 points behind us on the ladder. Tom McDermott’s rink, including Leanne Kleverlaan, Martin Grindley and Helen D’Amelio, continue to keep doing their bit for the side, winning most weeks, but have been let down by the other three rinks in recent weeks. The Steere’s being back will be a welcome addition before finals this week for the sixes, and with Pakenham and Cranbourne in the last two weeks they need two good wins for confidence and form and of course the home final. Away at Pakky on Saturday they need to get off to a good start and keep their rink scores close to allow the winning rinks a chance to get them over the line. Shot selection and positivity will keep them in it for a long time so we are expecting a big turn-around this weekend.
• Berwick 7 def Cranbourne 58-52. Ladder Position: 1st
The sevens fell over the line this week in a close one against seventh-placed Cranbourne 5. Helen Mathieson, David Warner, Marg Jorgensen and Terry Wood got the sevens over the line this week with a great 13-shot win covering the Jim Young rink. The sevens would have been very nervous in the final few ends as Cranbourne kept pushing. Mulgrave CC 6 away and Vermont South 6 at home in the final round should see the sevens finish on top, but only if they are on the ball and don’t get too far ahead of themselves. It’s a long season and all players are getting tired but the sevens are one of the best chances to go all the way, along with the twos, so it will be interesting to see how it all finishes for the sevens in a few weeks’ time.
• Berwick 8 def Beaumaris 5 66-61. Ladder Position 5th
An awesome win by the eights who’ve now put themselves in a position to enter the four and play finals this year. A draw, a three-shot win by Peter Muir, Connie Garland, Herb Tinschert and Mike Ferey, and a two-shot win by Barry Richards rink got the eights over the line. Now only four points behind, they have third-placed Clayton 5 at home and first-placed Brighton away. So too do Beaumaris, who sit fourth, so whichever of the Beaumaris and Berwick sides win over the next two weeks will probably see that team finish fourth. It’s a nailbiter and two big games ahead so no predictions but fingers crossed the eights get over the line.
• Summary
The final two rounds for Div 2 to Div 8 are coming up over the next two weeks and we currently have five of the seven sides playing finals and the eights only four points out of the four.
It’s been a fantastic effort but the next two weeks is important to get form and confidence up prior to finals.
The ones have it all in front of them with two massive games this weekend at home.
On Sunday, the club will be open and we’d like to see as many members and supporters down to support.
Food and drinks will be available and we’ll need as many of the members down to support the ones to try and help them over the line against the top side.
The Australia Day Skins tournament was well supported with a full field and many laughs along the way in what was a great day.
Well done to Jeff Parker and his team of helpers for the day.
-John Rich-
