Ladies Pennant
Pennant (THU), The Mercury, Updates

Loss to Brighton leaves Glenorchy City Winless

Ladies Division 1 report for The Mercury by Peter Kirby

Glenorchy City v Brighton

Glenorchy City suffered another devastating all-rinks loss in Round 5 of Bowls South’s Thursday Women’s Division 1 Pennant at Brighton, the bright sunshine bringing no joy for the visitors, leaving the side winless for the season and anchored in the relegation zone, Brighton romping to an emphatic all-rinks, forty-three shot victory, 79-36.

Michelle Moat gave her side a great start, defeating City’s Miriam Garrett by a huge twenty-one shots, 30-9, with Tayla Munro not far behind, eighteen shots up on City’s Margaret Poulter, 30-12.

In a more evenly contested match, Lyn Triffitt held off City’s Leonie Hyland to contribute Brighton’s third rink win, getting the job done by four shots, 19-15.

Claremont v Kingborough

In a compelling clash at Claremont on their new synthetic green, a triumphant Kingborough claimed an all-rinks victory by twenty-four shots overall, 63-39. Under idyllic weather conditions, the match delivered an exhilarating spectacle for both players and spectators. Kingborough’s skilful tactics, including well-timed wicks and strategic upshots, allowed them to maintain their lead despite Claremont’s determined efforts to close the gap.

A reconfiguration of Kingborough’s rinks caused by the absence of Leonie Price had little effect on the side’s performance with their player of the day, Crystal Brooks, displaying great skills skipping her rink to a ten-shot win over Claremont’s Trudy Davis, 19-9. Brooks won eight ends in succession from the third to tenth ends, each for a one-shot gain, to be in front by seven. Davis was unable to make any meaningful inroads into Brooks’ lead, who finished as dominant as she had begun, winning four of the final five ends.

For two-thirds of the contest between Kingborough’s Maddie Johnston and Claremont’s Jan McPherson was hard-fought with neither skip able to break clear until Johnston gained the ascendancy on the fourteenth end, winning all but one of the remaining ends of the match to claim a solid nine-shot victory, 22-13.

Kingborough’s Kerrie Lane was in control of her match with Claremont’s Maree Morgan from the outset, leading by as much as ten shots after ten ends. Conceding a number of multiples to Morgan enabled Morgan to close the gap to four shots after seventeen ends, but the Lane rink steadied to go on to win by five shots, 22-17 and complete a very successful visit to the Northern Suburbs for Kingborough.

Both teams exhibited exceptional talent and sportsmanship, contributing to an engaging atmosphere throughout the match. While the loss stings, Claremont remains resolute, ready to regroup and move forward with renewed determination as they prepare for next week’s encounter, away to Buckingham.

Glenorchy Rodman v Orford

Glenorchy Rodman secured a valuable two-rink win against visitors, Orford, by twenty-three shots overall, 64-41. Lyn Flack set the tone for Rodman, playing superbly to defeat Orford’s Jenny Martyn by sixteen shots, 25-9.

Joy Voss, down 7-15 after fifteen ends, due to great bowls from Orford’s skip, Jill Morgan, and Morgan’s three, Elaine Taylor, won the last six ends, including a six on the sixteenth end, to win by nine shots, 24-15, and claim Rodman’s second rink victory. Voss was well served all day by her three, Di Peck, and a strong second half from her lead, Carolyn Monks.

Rodman’s Cheryl Nielsenbeck and Orford’s Carol Bannister had a tight battle all day with Bannister often saving her rink with great conversion shots, eventually prevailing in the contest by two shots over Nielsenbeck, 17-15.

Rosny Park v Buckingham

At Rosny Park, playing in ideal conditions on a green running true, Buckingham won on two rinks, by twenty-one shots, 76-55. Jeanette Lane rink relished the conditions and with great conversion shots gave her side every chance of having a successful visit to the Eastern Shore, defeating Rosny’s Elizabeth deBurgh by twenty-two shots, 33-11.

Buckingham’s Lynette Hall consolidated Bucks’ winning advantage, beating Rosny’s Mimma D’Amico by a more conservative ten shots, 26-16. Christine Thompson’s rink, although playing some great bowls, just couldn’t manage to get the upper hand in their match against Rosny’s Gaylene Ridgeway, Ridgeway halting Bucks’ chances of an all-rinks win, beating Thompson by eleven shots, 28-17, the rink win likely to prove extremely valuable for Rosny at the conclusion of the roster season.

Sandy Bay v Howrah

On their home green, Sandy Bay fought hard against Howrah to achieve the shots necessary for a win, but was unsuccessful, the ladder leaders winning on all rinks, by thirteen shots overall, 65-52.

Sandy Bay’s Peri Buckley battled hard against Howrah’s Denise Tanner, whose front end was contributing excellent starts. Down by eleven shots after twelve ends, Buckley won each of the next six ends to reduce the margin to a single shot, but the extreme effort sapped the energy of the Buckley rink, Tanner regaining momentum to win the last three ends for a seven-shot victory, 21-14.

Howrah’s Charon Foster was in total control of her match with Sandy Bay’s Sally Knott at the lunch break. Sally Knott and her team picked up beautifully after lunch, the sustenance gained obviously having a beneficial effect on the Sandy Bay rink who almost stole the match, Foster hanging on to win by three, 23-20.

In another come-from-behind performance, Sandy Bay’s Robyn Leggett won four ends in a row from the seventeenth to twentieth ends to draw level with Howrah’s Rosie Geeves. Unfortunately, Leggett was unable to convert on the final end, with Geeves picking up three shots to win by that margin, 21-18.

Articles in The Mercury are limited to 400 words (or less if editorial requirements dictate). The above is the “full” report that would be published if said restrictions did not exist.