Men’s A Grade Singles marker Merv Fitch, centre, checked the score card for the early round match between Neil Johnson, left, and Graham Heaton on Wednesday (Photo: Jim Bond)

March 7, 2015

by Jim Bond

Most clubs have been very active over the past week, running the early rounds of club championships and conducting inter-club visits and matches.

No rain, the greens were in great nick and the only problem that slowed things down was the few days of record hot weather.

Right now, many players are looking forward to the Pub Day tournaments that will be held at a number of clubs in the district.

Kilcoy have theirs on Wednesday, March 11 and Yarraman’s is scheduled for Thursday week: an Open Fours.

By coincidence, Yarraman leads the bulletin this week:

* * *

Yarraman news

The Yarraman Men’s Club have been getting their championships under way, and the semi-finals of Men’s Pairs only have two matches left to finalise the trophy.

There were byes in two of the quarter-finals, but the two matches played were quite decisive.

In the first, Graham Heaton and Merv Fitch easily defeated Chris Macleod and Neil Johnston, with a seven on the last end giving Fitch’s side the match 31-17.

The other Pairs quarter-final was a little different.

George Wolski and Brian Dugdell won the mat and got away to a good start. But at fifteen ends it looked like Neil Currell and Rob Douglass were going to make an issue of it, catching up to be down just 12-13.

The Dugdell pair then put on the pressure and ultimately skipped away to take out the game 22-15.

* * *

The first semi-final was played on Sunday, and it saw Merv Fitch and Chris Warner follow up their runaway win in the quarter-final with a close win over Graham Heaton and Kev Profke.

It was an interesting match for the gallery with a number of tight heads on every game.

Leading 16-15 on the last end, Fitch played a toucher and took the kitty a metre out of the head. That made them one up.

Fitch then elected to forfeit his last bowl and take the match 17-15.

* * *

Graham Heaton really put the pressure on in the last few ends to down Neil Johnston in an early round of the A Grade Men’s Singles on Wednesday (Photo: Jim Bond)

Heaton and Johnston clashed again on Wednesday in an early round of the Men’s A Grade Singles.

Johnston won the mat and after five ends led 6-0. He kept the pace up for 18 ends when the score reached 13-all.

But Graham took command from there and applied plenty of pressure to take out the match 25-20.

* * *

Last Saturday, the monthly rotational triples challenge between Yarraman and Nanango was played at Yarraman, and the home team scored the bragging rights by taking top spot on the scoreboard.

Results:

  • Winners: Helene Johnson, Kev Profke and Bev Profke – 2 wins 31
  • Runners Up: Warren Arthur, Delvin Powys and Doris Drew – 2 wins 28
  • Third: Neil Currell, Di Currell and George Wolski – 2 wins 26
  • Sportsman Award: Glenda Wolski, Jenny Moore and John Beattie – 11
  • Neil Johnston’s Team – 20
  • Horst Meyer’s Team – 19
  • John Moore’s Team – 13
  • Kerry Knowles’ Team – 12

In the Thursday night Social, winners Kev Profke, Jenny Moore and Kenny Walsh defeated Neil Johnston, Eunice Smith and Kerry Walsh 29-7; while John Moore, Arthur Smith and Margaret Willoughby defeated Todd Currell, Sandra Currell and Wayne Emms 19-9.

There was plenty of action on the green on Wednesday – Ladies Club social play – and the gallery enjoyed the many matches.

Apart from the social play, the Men’s A Grade Singles attracted interest. But the big event on the program was the Final of the Ladies A Grade Fours.

This match was a corker!

Robyn Diercke, Daphne Stewart, Bev Profke and Helene Johnson played Eunice Smith, Sandra Currell, Lorri Holmes and Ivy Wrembreck.

After 12 ends the scores were 11-10 in favour of the Johnson team.

It was tight from there on with a number of close measures to decide the ends.

On end 19, Helene came up trumps with a three and it was “goodnight nurse” from there-on in, with Johnson’s team ultimately winning 21-16.

The winners of the Championship Fours now go to play in the Champion of Champions of the district later in the year.

Opposing skips in the Yarraman Ladies A Grade Fours Final, Ivy Wrembrek and Helene Johnson, shook hands and reminisced after a very hard fought match (Photo: Jim Bond)

* * *

Kingaroy news

A big day at Kingaroy last Sunday: a Triples competition with thirty bowlers on the green.

The day was sponsored by club members Ray Maclaren, Col Kratzmann and Barry O’Brien, and conditions of play were twenty-one ends; the team with the highest winning margin being the overall winners.

The competition was keen and a lively banter could be heard around the green.

In the main, the margins were close however a couple of teams took the jump on their opponents and recorded healthy margins.

  • Winners: John Lacey, Maureen Semgreen and Errol Dionysius – Margin 16.
  • Runners Up: Maree Millard, Alan Rogerson and Malcolm MacLeod – Margin 14
  • Third: Gladys Slatter, Merv Wolski and Val Jeppesen – Margin 8

Results:

  • John Lacey, Maureen Semgreen and Errol Dionysius def. Marj Moore, Eric Ford and Bob Robinson 30-14
  • Maree Millard, Alan Rogerson and Malcolm MacLeod def. Lindy Clutterbuck, Geoff Clutterbuck and Kev Raffin 28-14
  • Gladys Slatter, Merv Wolski and Val Jeppesen def. Norma Rook, Dave Barwick and Ray Maclaren 24-16
  • Briggitte Kung, Barry O’Brien and Glen Turner def. Bess Thorp, Bob Bougoure and Alan Irwin 20-15
  • Fred Keding, Dave Clapperton and Beryl Woods def. Evelyn Taylor, Annette O’Brien and Danny Holligan 20-19

The midweek bowls suffered a bit from this week’s heatwave, and the hot weather kept player numbers down.

On Cheap Tuesday:

  • Maree Millard and Bob Robinson def. Erris Vale and Alan Irwin 25-12
  • Briggitte Kung and Dave Barwick def. Darcy Munro and Geoff Clutterbuck 13-12

And in the Wednesday Social, Bess Thorp, Norma Rook, Col Kratzmann and Val Crawford def. Irene Maroski/Maureen Semgreen, Marj Moore, Gladys Slatter and Beryl Woods 23-17.

Thursday’s popular Pairs and Triples drew better numbers, though:

  • Darcy Munro and Errol Dionysius def. John Lacey and Col Kratzmann 25-22
  • Lyle Dascombe and Steve Carland def. Harry Read and Geoff Clutterbuck 28-20
  • Wanda Carland, Barry O’Brien and Hug Harrison def. Fred Keding, Marj Moore and Dave Clapperton 29-13
  • Keith Muller, Ross Olsson and Ray Maclaren def. Bob Bougoure, Gladys Slatter and Alan Irwin 20-18

* * *

Nanango news

Greg Pogson finally met his match in the Friday Afternoon Scroungers; not even his trusty measure could save him.

It was the young one (Josh Fisher) who got him with a score of 42.

Other scores of interest:

  • Ken Stieger (from the far west) – 40
  • Henry Bliesner – 39
  • Greg Pogson – 39

Nanango and Kilkivan travelled to Burgowan on Sunday for a return visit.

Both sides were soundly beaten on their carpet green although two of the Nanango teams were in the lead at lunch time.

It must have been the amount of food they ate or what they drank affected the scoreboard in the afternoon: Burgowan ran away to win by 94 to Nanango’s 54.

* * *

Kilcoy news

The club is moving along quite well with its Club Championships calendar.

Matches played this week:

  • Men’s A Singles – John Glanville def. Bill Edwards 25-18
  • Men’s Pairs – Lester Bechly and Jamie Mitchell def. Clinton Morrow and John Worrall 25-11
  • Men’s Fours – Leigh Irwin, Jamie Mitchell, Lester Bechly and Harold Alford def. Dave Scott, John Worrall, Stan Vallance and Terry Pratten
  • Mixed Pairs – Bill Edwards and Trudi Pratt def. Dozer Bechly and Fay Bechly 22-16, and Jenny Edwards and Leigh Irwin def. Sharon Walker and Noel Lanes 18-16.
  • Ladies A Singles – Margaret Worrall def. Jenny Edwards 25-20

On Sunday, there was an excellent turn-out for the first Breaky Pairs for this season, with thirty players on the green.

The Next Breaky Pairs will be held on Sunday, March 15.

On Monday, a team of ladies attended Solander Lake One Day Fours. They won one round and narrowly went down in the other.

Then on Tuesday – in the Star of the Green competition – Trudi Pratt defeated Jenny Edwards and will play Leigh Irwin next week.

Jackpot Pairs on Tuesday had restricted numbers due to Championship Mixed Pairs commitments, so only two games of pairs were played.

Winners were Ian Smith and Harold Alford who defeated Phyl Coffee and Bill Edwards 19-13.

In the other game, Darrell Coffee and Kelly Charters defeated Ernie Herbert and John Worrall 16-14.

The jackpot did not go off and will be $125 next Tuesday

Coming Events at Kilcoy:

  • Saturday, March 7: Men’s Fours Championships: Second Round to be completed
  • Sunday, March 8: Current Round of Men’s A Singles Championships to be completed
  • Wednesday, March 11: Pub Day, 12:00 noon start
  • Saturday, March 14 – Pool Mixed Pairs
  • Sunday, March 15 – Mixed Breaky Pairs, with an 8:15am breakfast
  • Tuesday, March 24 – Ladies Trophy Day sponsored by Jenny and Bill Edwards.
  • Ladies A Singles first round is to be played by April 14
  • The first round of the Pairs is to be played by April 21

* * *

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3 Responses to "Club Championships Heating Up"

  1. Great report again, Jim, and I assume it wasn’t you who added the pic captions but there are no “overs” in bowls they are “ends” (pic 2) or a “referee” , they are known as umpires and in this case (pic 1) a “marker”, having said that, I have seen a few games where a referee and some gloves could have been required.

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