PAKENHAM BOWLS
SATURDAY
Pakenham One (Div 1) finally kicked its 2023/24 campaign into gear on the weekend with a rock-solid 16-point win at Clayton.
The Lions got the jump on their opponents early to lead 24 to 15 with three rinks in front at the completion of the first twenty ends.
By the midway point, having increased the lead to 45 to 32, they were still looking strong.
However, by the start of the business ends, as a result of a complete melt down on two of Pakenham’s rinks, Clayton had snatched a one-point lead.
With each side having one up, one down and two level, the battle was well and truly on!
Fortunately, at that stage somebody must have passed the pickle juice around (or was it smelling salts) as the Lions staged a spirited fight back, waking from their stupor and outscoring their opponents in the run home to record an 80 to 70 win with three rinks up.
Foxy’s rink, in particular, saw wild swings during the course of the game; having dropped seven ends in a row in the middle stages, they found themselves sitting at 15 all after the sixteenth end but stormed home to a 22 to 15 win, picking up the last five ends on the trot!
However, the best rink, having kept its nose in front all day and winning 24 to 16, was “Nifty” Nev Brown (S), Trent Gribbin (3), Kerry Lewis (2) and David Laird (L).
The Ones will be away again next Saturday against top-of-the-ladder Cheltenham which has at this early stage, three from three.
There is no other way to put it – Pakenham Two (Div 3) was simply out-bowled on their home turf by a stronger side in Hampton Park One.
The Redback’s made it quite obvious from the outset that they had come to play and after the completion of the first twenty ends had a 20 to nine lead, were ahead on three rinks and only one shot down on the fourth.
By the half-way point a win was still not out of reach for the Lions as the visitors’ lead had been marginally reduced; however, they were still behind on three of the four rinks.
Then, as the game progressed, the visitors seemed to find another gear and took complete control of the contest.
Finally, at 56 to 77 Pakenham was beaten by 21 shots with only one rink up.
The one winning rink, with 22 to 16 was Keith Lewis (S), Darren Webster (3), Luis Aguilar (2) and Jan Moore (L).
The Twos will be home again next round to Cheltenham.
It was very much a case of “the one that got away” for Pakenham Three (Div 5) at Burden Park.
The Lions got away to a great start and by the completion of the first twenty ends had established a 19 to 11 lead and were ahead on all four rinks.
By the half-way mark they had increased their overall lead to 13 shots and although slightly behind on two rinks, were well up on the others.
As the game entered the business ends, the Lions again had three rinks up and with a 16-shot lead seemed to be travelling comfortably.
However, at that stage the wheels fell off and during the run home the Dragons heavily outscored the Lions to snatch an unlikely one-shot win.
The better of Pakenham’s two winning rinks with 24 to 14 was Charles Harris (S), Ray Leggett (3), Gayle Harkness (2) and Sandra “Wildwoman” Wilde (L).
The Threes will play Berwick Five at home next round.
Pakenham Four (Div 7) shared the dome with the Twos on Saturday – and unfortunately suffered a similar fate.
The visiting Keysborough (Four) was in control of that match from the outset.
After twenty ends, although both sides had two rinks up and two down, it was Keysborough which held a 12-shot lead and by the half way mark the visitors had three rinks in front and their lead had increased to 15 shots.
After the break, although two of the home rinks were able to stay with their opponents, the other two were well and truly outscored and the final tally blew out to 64 to 93 with only one successful Pakenham rink (although Mick Knight’s rink only fell short by one shot).
The one winning Lions’ rink with 20 to 19 was Eric Peterson (S), Alan Waterson (3), Ray Illing (2) and Kevin Holley (L).
The Fours will be away at Cranbourne RSL next round.
MIDWEEK
Pakenham One (Div 1) continued its winning start to the season with a (less than convincing) 15-shot home win against Burden Park on 31 October.
The Lions got away to an encouraging start in that game and had two up and a lead of 10 shots after the first 15 ends.
By the half-way point, although the overall scores had increased, seemingly nothing had changed; it was still two up with a 10-shot lead.
By the start of the business ends Pakenham’s overall lead had increased to 15 shots and that was the margin at the end of play, at which time the Lions had only one winning rink.
This consisted of Neil “Big Dev” Devlin (S), Max Mannik (3), Terry “TMac” McRedmond (2) and David Saint (L) who finished with a thumping 27 to 8 win which more than covered narrow losses on Ned Courtain and Foxy’s rinks.
The Ones’ next outing will be away at Clayton, the only other side with wins from both opening rounds.
Pakenham Two (Div 3) was across town at Cardinia Waters.
The home side got away to a good start and after the first 15 ends had two rinks up but it was Pakenham which held a slender two-shot lead at that stage, thanks to Keith Lewis’ team which had hit the ground running to establish an early lead of nine shots to one.
At the half-way mark with the overall score at 24 apiece, that lead had evaporated.
From that point forward, as Keith Lewis’ rink continued to add to their lead, Cardinia Waters’ John Van Vugt’s rink did the same and the scores remained very close.
However, when the dust settled it was Cardinia Waters which chalked up the win – by a solitary shot!
Pakenham’s only winning rink with 25 shots to 10 was Keith Lewis (S), Rick Burns (3), Helen Wright (2) and Judith Ferrari (L).
The Twos will be at home against Willow Lodge in round three.
The Dandenong Club has not been a happy hunting ground in recent times for teams from Pakenham which made Pakenham Three’s big win at that venue last Tuesday even sweeter.
The Lions did not have it all their own way in the first half of that game.
After fifteen ends they had just one rink up (by a single shot) and trailed overall by 10 shots to 17.
At lunch time the deficit had been reduced to five shots but the Lions still had just one rink in front and Ken Clifton’s rink had only scored half its opponent’s tally and looked like copping a belting.
However (to invoke the old cliche) this was a game of two halves.
After the break, Peter Wilson’s rink which had been in front, scored the same number of shots as their opponents and held on to finish four shots up, but the other two rinks bolted home to give the Lions an across-the-board win by 26 shots.
Ken Clifton’s rink came from behind, scoring 27 shots to two in the second half to post an unbelievable 35 to 17 victory; whatever they had for lunch, I want (no, need) some!
Not surprisingly, best rink with 35 to 17 was Ken Clifton (S), Mick Knight (3), Wayne Oosthuizen (2) and Karen Oosthuizen (L).
The Threes will host Burden Park (Two) next round.
Note that all round three Midweek games will be played on Wednesday 8 November due to the Melbourne Cup holiday on Tuesday.
HI-LO
This round’s winner with number 41 was “Stormin” Norm Box.
-Des Leigh-
