BERWICK BOWLING CLUB
Weekend Pennant 2022/23
Our new pennant season is now underway and after a pre-season training program leading up to Round 1 on 15 October completed, we are now into the swing of pennant and all that comes with it! Berwick BC has seemingly become the new destination club in the south-east with more new bowlers wanting to be a part of where the club is heading.
Our Division 1 side, which narrowly missed promotion to the Premier League last season, has again been strengthened with the arrivals of Dylan Booth, Cooper Kraus, former Premier League bowler John O’Donnell and recently crowned U18 Victorian and National Singles Silver Medallist Amity Bickley.
All have slotted into the Division 1 side this season which of course also means some of our regular Div 1 bowlers have now slotted into the second side, a side which is as strong as it has ever been and who will no doubt be a force in Division 2 this season. The results so far:
SIDE 1
Rd 1 def Pakenham 1
Rd 2 def St Kilda 1 – 98 to 64
After a good solid win against Pakenham in round one, the ones hosted the unknown St Kilda. More changes this week, and an unlucky relegation of one of the top side bowlers, but the side produced another great win, with four rinks up out of four to now sit atop the ladder after two rounds. Josh McQueen’s rink again led the way with a 14-shot win. McQueen and Kraus combination seems to be working well and they were backed up by Steve Ellard and Ethan Mills rinks winning by nine and 10 respectively with John O’Donnell’s rink having a tough scrap but getting over the line by a single shot in the end. This week will see the ones test themselves against the yardstick of the section in Whittlesea at Whittlesea. A win next week will see us right in the mix but whatever the result, we’ll know a lot more about the ones and their prospects this season.
SIDE 2
Rd 1 def Edithvale 1
Rd 2 def Cheltenham 2 – 90 to 48
As we said, this is the strongest we’ve seen the second side look for a long time and they have started fantastically well. Some familiar faces from years gone by, but also some new additions to the twos this season has seen their depth enhanced very well with the likes of Carol Klooster, Paul O’Day, Graham Manifold, Alan Clements and Jeff Janetzki all slotting in to new sides and dominating so far across the two games. The weekend saw the twos take on Cheltenham 2 away they won all four rinks reasonably convincingly. Manifold’s rink won by 14 shots with the other rinks up by seven, nine and 12 shots. What a start for the twos. They host Hampton 1 next week at home who has also had two wins as well so they currently sit on top of the ladder with the chance to put an early gap in the section with a good win.
SIDE 3
Rd 1 def by Upwey Tecoma 1
Rd 2 def by Cranbourne 1 – 74 to 83
The threes are going to have a very tough year coming up against most clubs top sides in a very hard section. So far they’ve pushed Upwey for most of the game in round one but a heavy defeat in one rink saw a loss by 30 shots overall. This week saw the threes host Cranbourne’s top side, a tough ask but what a performance! With two ends left in the game the threes were in with a red-hot shot at it only trailing by four shots overall but unfortunately fell short and went down by nine overall. Pinching a win was Rob Morley’s rink and a draw by the ever-reliable Kenny Graeber, the threes gave the Cranny boys an almighty scare. I’m backing the threes to get their first win on the board next week against Mulgrave 2 after a very competitive start to the season.
SIDE 4
Rd 1 def Upwey Tecoma 2
Rd 2 def Mulgrave 3 – 82 to 70
Our fours started off like a house on fire last season and fell away after the first four to six weeks. This season, they look to be starting very well again and as we’ve already stated, the depth of the sides is again stronger so we are crossing our fingers that the winning form for the fours continues. After a narrow seven-shot win over Upwey Tecoma 2 in the opening round, the fours backed this up with a 12-shot overall win on the weekend away against Mulgrave. Alan Thompson, John Kleverlaan and Doug Fisher all had narrow wins on their rinks and Bill Stilo’s rink fought hard to come up with a draw. The fours need to consolidate their early wins with a win over Cardinia Waters 1 next week at home. A win will put a small gap early in the top of the ladder and currently second…they could jump Pakenham 2 with a good win.
SIDE 5
Rd 1 def by Edithvale 2
Rd 2 def Keysborough 3 – 67 to 63
What does the season hold for the fifths?
Last season our fives only had a couple of wins but we are hoping the fives this season can turn that around. Great results all round this week with seven of eight wins across the board. The fives managed a hard-fought four-shot win overall, winning two rinks with Keith Dargie’s rink up by 11 and Paul Hunt’s rink winning by 10. It was enough to cover the losses on the other two rinks. The fives take on Churchill Waverley 1 (their top side against our fifth) away and we might get a good indication of the seasons chances after 4.30pm on Saturday for the fives but you can count on this group giving it a red-hot crack.
SIDE 6
Rd 1 def Edithvale 3
Rd 2 received a walkover from Burden Park
No game this week from the sixes after Burden Park forfeited but a fantastic first round win by one shot overall by the sixes sees them poised for another great season. Probably the one that got away last season, they were the best side in their section all season but unfortunately let the semi final slip! This season, they’re out for redemption and we look forward to the sixes games and with some of the most consistent bowlers that we’ve seen at Berwick for many years they’ll continue to win games and give their all. They come up against Dandy Club 5 next week and the fixture states it’s being played at Burden Park so the grass advantage should be taken this week by the sixes and we will eagerly await the result of this one to see where they are at.
SIDE 7
Rd 1 def Churchill Waverley 2
Rd 2 def Keysborough 4 – 75 to 44
Here they go again! The all-conquering sevens are up and about early this season with two big wins so far. All three rinks getting up on Saturday but Alf Reina, David Warner, Joan Marshall and Caroline McClary set the day up with a 20-shot win! The sevens are capable of anything this season and as the season goes on we will be very interested to see how they go and by the break at Christmas we’ll be hoping it’s another big season for the sevens.
SIDE 8
Rd 1 def Murrumbeena 2
Rd 2 def Armadale 7 – 57 to 54
A nailbiter for the eights on the weekend and win number two for them so far. Only one rink got up on the weekend and it covered the losses of the other two rinks. Alex Bigdelis (new bowler), Barry Richards, Jan Pearson and Skip Martin Grindley won 29-6 to take a 23-shot win. John Arboit’s rink went down by nine and Ron McGrath by 11 but again, bowls and pennant is a team game and although the eights have some work to do, as long as the side is covering the losses they’ll continue to get the wins on the board. The eights travel to Toorak to play their second side on the weekend so that surely will be a test.
So, six our of eight wins in round one and seven out of eight wins in round two see the club off to a fantastic start to the season.
It’s exciting, there will no doubt be continual changes throughout the sides to find the right combinations and balances among the sides but remember, it’s about the club not the individuals so back the selectors, play your role and we’ll be sure to have another very successful season in 2022/23.
-John Rich-
