THERE is only one day left in the home and away bowls season and Hampton Park should have three teams playing finals. Tuesday’s Division 1 will need to defeat Vermont South to guarantee their place. Saturday’s Division 1 and Division 4 will play finals Division 1 on top of the ladder and division 4 currently second.
Last Tuesday, Division 1 put up a spirited performance against the strong Mulgrave Country Club but failed to achieve maximum points. The result could have made finals difficult, but clubs in the hunt also lost, dropping Hampton Park to third on the ladder. Jim Westwell, Shane Collins, Peter Hayden and Neville Hendrie again won (21-12) but Dot Carr, Chris Hendrie, Ian Bartlett and Ellen Smith (13-27) and Geoff Ampt, Heather Naismith, Helen Lambert and Denise Eastick (16-23) both lost.
Hampton Park (1) 2-50 lost to Mulgrave CC (5) 14-62.
Division 2 had better luck, winning at Edithvale. John Nunan, Jos Van Hout, Marion Battaglia and Ray Wood won well (26-13) and Brian Diaper, Ian Kitt, Gwen Clough and Bob Nicol won 17-15. Lou Soligo, June Damon, Keith Damon and Rob Woff were down 4-19 at lunch, and then rallied to lose 16-22 in an overall winning comeback.
Hampton Park (2) 14-59 defeated Edithvale (2) 2-50.
Saturday Pennant produced a chaotic array of results. Divisions 2 and 4 will be in the finals despite the day’s results. At home, Division 2 played Cranbourne RSL and had a disappointing loss – winning only two rinks. The Parkers still hold top of the ladder due to Narre Warren defeating Mulgrave Country Club, 18 points to nil. Steve Barnes, Chris Hendrie, Andrew Brandolin and Warwick Hardy won 23-17 and Shane Hardy, Mark Paton, Ian Bartlett and Zak Storm won 21-16. Geoff Ampt, John Nunan, Shannon Micallef and Shane Collins went down 23-32 and Neville Hendrie, Larry Simpson, Sean McDonald and Ken Cobden lost 7-32.
Hampton Park (1) 4-80 lost to Cranbourne RSL (1) 14-97.
Division 4 ladders remains the same after the top four teams were meant to play each other. Hampton Park (2nd) / Chadstone (3rd) were washed out at Chadstone, and Mulgrave Country Club (1st) / Keysborough (4th) was also washed out at Mulgrave.
Division 6 had a slight chance to make the finals but were defeated by Pakenham at Pakenham.
Lou Soligo, Jos van Hout, Bill Webb and Craig Richards won 23-18, John Wright, Marion Battaglia, Brian Diaper and Ray Wood won 21-18, but Keith Damon, Rob Woff, Janice Collins and Gavin Wilson lost 16-32. Gerry Cox, Rudi Oost, Bob Nicol and Ian Kitt also lost 9-36.
Hampton Park (3) 4-69 lost to Pakenham (3) 14-109.
With eight players available, Division 8 had their first win bowling when they played Noble Park at Hampton Park. June Damon, Ann Westwell, Wayne Grimsey and Chris Barnes won 23-14 but Jamie Lehman, Gwen Clough, Keith McCarthy and Bill Holden just went down 16-22.
Hampton Park (4) 12-39 defeated Noble Park (4) 2-36.