Great start for Howrah’s 3PEAT attempt
A report for The Mercury by Peter Kirby
Howrah commenced its campaign for a third successive Premiership in Bowls South’s Thursday Women’s Pennant with a convincing 12 shot win against visitors, Glenorchy Rodman. With all players contributing at various stages, Rosie Geeves’ rink of Lyn McDougall, Lyn Page and Sally Ridgeway ran out 8 shot winners against Rodman’s Crystal Brooks, 22-14. Denise Tanner’s rink, with the skip playing some excellent bowls, easily defeated Rodman’s Jennie Suttie 25-12. In the third match, both teams played some great bowls, with Glenorchy Rodman’s new skip, Joy Voss, outstanding on occasions, outlasting Charon Foster, 23-14.
Kingborough travelled to Sorell for the first game of the season. Both sides experienced nervous times, with each side fielding untried players. Sorell with the home ground advantage but new untried players for both teams. Sorell lost on two rinks, but with home advantage, hung on for a draw overall. Kingborough’s rink wins came from Leonie Price, 22-18 against Vicki Philp, and Sue Clark, by 3 shots against Pat Taylor, 20-17. In the third game, Cheryl Holland, skipping for her first game for Sorell, was cruising at the lunch break, 22-3, thanks to some brilliant lead bowls from Gwen Scott hung on to win by 7 against Maddison Johnston., However, Maddie Johnston’s team refused to surrender and managed to drag the deficit back to 7, 18-25, to square the overall score, 60 shots each, with Kingborough taking the points 7-5, due to its two rink wins.
In perfect weather conditions and on a perfect grass green at Sandy Bay, the hosts defeated Buckingham by 7 shots, 62-55, gaining a 10-2 point win in the first roster game of the 2023-2024 season. After the first end, Jac Phillips’ rink led for the entire match with newcomer, Annie Wishink playing well at lead. Their 12 shot win over Jeannette Lane, 25-13, easing the load on the other two rinks. Sandy Bay’s Peri Buckley and her opponent, Lynette Hall, contested an exciting match with the lead changing constantly, Sandy Bay the winners by 1 shot, 21-20. Buckingham’s rink win came via June Guy, ably supported by Pat Zapotocky, defeating Robin Leggett by 6 shots, 22-16.
In Thursday’s highly anticipated lawn bowls pennant match, for the opening of the 2023 – 2024 season, the Claremont ladies Division 1 team showcased their dominance by securing a decisive victory over Rosny Park, with an impressive 82 to 44 win. Claremont not only claimed 38 shots up but also earned a valuable 12 points, propelling them to the top of the ladder in the first round for this season. Under the delightful backdrop of a sunny 23-degree Celsius day, accompanied by gentle winds that gradually picked up in the afternoon, coupled with a very fast running green, the stage was set for an exciting clash between the two teams that was hosted by Rosny Park.
Claremont Skip Jan McPherson and her team started the game with a commanding performance, holding their opponents to only 1 shot until the 11th end. However, after the lunchtime break, Rosny Park found their rhythm and managed to score 7 shots in the 12th and 13th ends. Despite this resurgence, Jan’s team swiftly regained control in the 16th end, ultimately securing a resounding victory with a final score of 31 to 11 points, boasting an impressive 20 shots up on the last end over Rosny Park’s team skipped by Gaylene Ridgeway.
Meanwhile, Meekie Salter and her team engaged in an intense battle against skip Judith Sherrin and her team. The scores remained level on ends 2 and 5, showcasing the fierce competition between the two sides. However, with 4 and 5 shots scored on ends 6 and 7, Meekie’ s team surged ahead, establishing a commanding 9 shot lead. Despite a brief setback with a dead end before the lunchtime break, Meekie Salter’s team persevered and emerged victorious at the 21st end with a remarkable 15 shots up, 33-18.
In yet another closely contested match, Claremont’s skip Maree Morgan and her team began with a narrow 2-shot lead. However, the opposing team, led by skip Carolyn Monks, quickly caught up, resulting in a tied score of 7 shots each by the 10th end, just before the lunchtime break. Undeterred, Maree’s team rallied and scored an impressive 5 shots on the 14th end, gaining the momentum needed to overcome their fired-up opponents. Although the opposing team managed to score 1 shot on ends 17, 19, and 21, it was Maree Morgan’s team that emerged triumphant with a hard-fought 3-shot victory, 18-15.
Division 1 newcomers, Brighton, came agonisingly close to winning its first match in the top division, succumbing to Glenorchy City by 4 shots, 59-63, 10-2. Brighton’s rink win came from Noelene Fehlberg, defeating Leonie Holland 22-20. Tayla Munro had the opportunity for a win against her old club, losing by a shot to Margaret Poulter, 20-21. Yvonne Cliffe had a 5 shot winning margin over Brighton’s Lyn Triffitt, 20-15, for City’s second rink win.