GARFIELD BOWLS
In the last week of the regular season, Garfield’s pennant teams finished on a high note with all three sides succeeding in making it into the finals.
MIDWEEK
On Tuesday 1 March, Garfield’s Midweek Div 3 side played host to a desperate-to-win Trafalgar side, whose ability to make finals hinged on winning this encounter.
They went home disappointed as Garfield won two rinks and the match overall by 71 shots to 53.
The team of Wes Goodman, Judy Pocklington, Gordon Moxey and skip Lexi Taylor started out with a very even game, with the scores tied three times by the 10th end, when it was eight shots-all.
The next three ends saw Garfield score nine shots and scoot away to a good lead, which Trafalgar didn’t recover from.
The final score was 21 shots to 17 in favour of Garfield.
Maureen Lamport’s rink, with Jan Johnson, Malcolm Newham, and Bob Lamport, started well with three shots on the first two ends. After that, though, Trafalgar got itself going, and in the blink of an eye – well another 12 ends really – Garfield was down, 6-21.
A comeback by Garfield in the final seven ends of the game brought the final score to a much more respectable loss by 17 shots to 24.
Sue Stansfield’s team, consisting of Damian Brick, Gillian Harper and Barry Johnson, bolted out of the gates to be nine shots up before Trafalgar scored. They then went on as they had started, marooning Traf on nine shots for seven ends in the middle of the game, while they scored at will.
The final score was a runaway 33 shots to 12 win.
The side finishes the season in third place on the ladder and will host a home final against fourth-placed Morwell next Tuesday.
SATURDAY
On Saturday 5 March, the Div 3 side went to play their last home-and-away fixture under the roof at Morwell, so they were not at all worried about the inclement weather.
They finished the regular season with a flourish, winning on all four rinks with an overall score of 98 shots to 82.
The team of Frank Prins, Ron Saunders, Tom Cleary and skip Nick Henwood started well, winning the first four ends; then Morwell came back and won the next five ends, to be two shots up. From then on, it was an even contest, but Garfield just edged out their opponents to win by the smallest of margins, 24 shots to 23.
Graeme Burton, Ray Biffin, Shane Oliver and skip Anthony Young were neck-and-neck with their opposition right out of the blocks, the score being tied four times in the first half of the game.
Then the Garfield boys won a few ends in a row to take a good lead, which Morwell were unable to catch up with; Garfield ended up winners by 24 shots to 21.
Likewise, Stephen Whyte’s team, of Alan Wilson, Bob Lamport and Gary Helmore, played a tight game with the scores level four times up to the 17th end. After that, they only allowed their opponents to score on one end, while they ran away to win by 24 shots to 18.
Gary Payne, Les Pumphrey, Bob Lamport and skip Steve Bassed bolted out of the gate, to be 17 shots up before their opposition scored. Morwell had a purple patch in the middle of the game and managed to reduce the deficit to seven shots, but that was all and the Garfielders won by 26 shots to 20.
The side finishes the season in first place on the ladder, and will host Traralgon at Garfield in next week’s semi-final.
The Div 5 side play host to the ladder-leaders, Morwell Club, with the pressure of needing to win one or two rinks to stave off the following pack.
They won one rink, but went down overall by 60 shots to 83.
The team of Brian Fox, Helene Newton, Judy Pocklington and skip Barry Johnson won two of the first three ends, and were up by five shots to two. That’s the end of the good news. Their opponents then got going and Garfield only won five more ends for the game, going down at the last by 13 shots to 33.
Barrie Smith’s team, consisting of Lois King, Lexi Taylor and Gwen Fabris, fought out an up-and-down game, tied twice before Garfield skipped out to a 19-6 lead, half way through the game. Then Morwell Club came back and the scores were tied twice more, including at the penultimate end.
Unfortunately, their opponents won the last end, and Garfield lost by 22 shots to 28.
Len Preece, Gillian Harper, Damian Brick and skip Don Knight jumped to an early lead, courtesy of six shots on the second end.
They continued to lead right through the game, though a comeback by their opponents saw the lead cut to two shots with one end to play. Being the last rink to finish, and knowing the other two teams had lost, the pressure was on for the Garfielders.
After the leads and seconds had bowled, the team was down by four shots, and staring defeat in the face. But a well-measured bowl by third, Damian Brick, drew in to rest out Morwell’s shot bowl; no further action on the end saw Garfield win the game by 25 shots to 22.
With other results being favorable, and managing to sneak in with one-rink won, the Garfielders maintained their fourth place on the ladder by just one point and will play finals. As they finished fourth, they will travel to Churchill to play their semi-final next week.
-Damian Brick-
