Gala Week success for Southern Bowlers
A report for The Mercury by Peter Kirby
Southern bowlers enjoyed success at Bowls Tasmania’s recently completed State Championship Gala Week at the North Launceston Bowls Club. In the Men’s Open Pairs Final, Southern juniors Riley Davie (Brighton) and Reiley Banks (Cremorne) played consistent draw bowls and some great conversion shots to defeat the Dover RSL pairing of Ricky Ormerod and Cam Norris to take out the championship, 23-7.
In their Semi Final match, Davie and Banks had a convincing win over Wynyard’s Josh Walker Davis, the current Bowls Australia Ranking Points leader, and Longford’s Ollie Morrison, winning the match, 15-9. In a close match Ormerod and Norris defeated a Northern pairing of Minns and Berwick by a shot, 15-14, to reach the Final.
The Men’s B Grade Singles Final was another all-Southern affair with Kingborough’s Gavin Cleary getting the better of his Taroona opponent, Rob Winterbottom, winning by 5 shots, 25-20, with both bowlers producing tight heads.
In their Semi Finals matches, Cleary had a good win over Cosgrove Park’s Wayne Wright, 25-5, and Winterbottom was almost as impressive in his 13-shot victory over Penguin’s Dean Gilchrist, 25-12.
Glenorchy City’s Jason Dent completed a successful Gala Week, taking out the State Men’s Para Singles, defeating Wynard’s Chris Newman, 21-15, to remain the only undefeated player in the competition.
Earlier in Gala Week, Jason teamed with Adrian Tew (Kings Meadows) to win the State Para Pairs title in convincing fashion from Colleen Fellows (Kings Meadows) and Debbie Pilgrim (Devonport Country Club).
Grant Wakefield (Brighton) had a titanic struggle against Ollie Morrison (Longford) in their Semi Final of the Men’s Open Singles, with Wakefield hanging on to win by one shot, 25-24, to reach the Men’s Open Singles Final.
His Men’s Open Singles Final opponent, Wynyard’s Jade Groenewege, who had caused the major upset of Gala Week in his Semi Final against Ulverstone’s highly credentialled Rob McMullen, coming from 16-23 down to win five ends in succession to seal a memorable win, 25-23.
Groenewege carried his good form into the Final, proving far too strong for Wakefield, to win the prestigious State Men’s Open Singles title, 25-11.
Rae Simpson (Port Sorell) was in control of her match with Lyn Triffitt (Brighton) fin the State Women’s Open Singles Final from the outset, scoring a maximum four and two three’s in the first seven ends to open up a five shot lead from then on she was never headed to winning the women’s premier title, 25-12.