SWC Open sides were much improved
A report for The Mercury by Peter Kirby
Winless in the first two rounds of Bowls Tasmania’s Open Women’s and Open Men’s Statewide Challenge series, Bowls South’s representative sides were much improved in Rounds 3 and 4 contested at the Burnie Bowls Club on Sunday.
Bowls South’s Open Women’s side, in particular, played with great determination to win both of their matches, albeit by the slimmest of margins, winning by a shot in the morning round against North West’s Open Women, then defeating the Tasmanian Open Women’s side by the same difference in the afternoon.
Denise Tanner’s excellent 17 shot win against North West’s Deann Harman, 22-5, was sufficient for South’s Open Women to defeat the North-West, 46-45, the North-West winning on the other two rinks.
North West’s Jill Silvey accounted for Joy Voss by 4 shots, 18-14, and Rae Simpson failed by several shots to secure a win for her side, winning by 12 shots against Crystal Brook, 22-10.
In the afternoon round, an excellent all-round performance against the State Open Women resulted in a two-rink win to the Southern Open Women, 58-57. Joy Voss’ 11 shot win over former Jackaroo, Rebecca Van Asch, 25-14, the mainstay of the South’s dominating effort.
Voss was well supported by Denise Tanner, who completed a successful day, defeating Emerging Jackaroo, Lauren Banks, by 2 shots, 19-17. Although suffering a loss to State skip, Makayla Gibson, Crystal Brooks did enough to ensure victory for the South, containing her deficit to Gibson to 12 shots, 14-26.
South’s Open Men started strongly against their North-West opponents, winning on 2 rinks, 13 shots up, 56-43. Jack Ellis continued his unbeaten run, defeating North West’s Tim Douce by 7 shots, 20-13.
Skipping for the South for the first time, Nathan Dinning commenced with a 6 shot win, 19-13, against Joshua Marshall. In a close game, Michael Sims claimed a rink for North-West, up by a shot against Grant Wakefield, 17-16.
In the afternoon round, the Tasmanian Open Men’s side was in imposing form, winning on all rinks by 30 shots, 70-40. Grant Wakefield did best for the South, losing by a single shot for the second time for the day, 19-20, to Taelyn Male.
Nathan Dinning did well to restrict his loss to Tasmania’s Robert McMullin to 4 shots, 14-18, and Mark Strochnetter inflicted the first defeat of the series for the South’s Jack Ellis, 32-7.
The final 2 rounds of the open Statewide Challenge will be played at the New Norfolk Bowls Club on Sunday 3 March.