BOWLS administration has a duty of care philosophy where a rule can be instigated to abandon play when a temperature reaches a certain level.

This temperature is set locally and for our Tuesday games it is 34 and Saturday the threshold is 36 degrees.

In other areas where humidity is less of an issue, it is often higher.

As a consequence, all games bar one were abandoned at various times.

The division three match-up between Portland and Dartmoor was completed, but the rules state when the other two games in that division were abandoned, no points were allocated.

Weekend Pennant

IN division one there were three games decided by a grand total of 13 shots, and one explosion of numbers.

All games in all divisions, bar two, could be classed as close.

Balmoral hosted Grangeburn and won on one rink, but the overall total was only four shots to the visitors.

Tom Simons 17 d. Bert Partington 13, Peter Merryfull 16 lost to Phil Allen 23 and Neville Trotman 19 lost to Robyn Thomassen 20.

Overall scores were 52 to 56.

The win to the ‘burners lifted the side from fifth to fourth on the ladder and dropped Balmoral back to third.

Hamilton set up on the A green for the early arrival of Memorial Red and the four-shot win to the home side lifted it to second on the ladder.

Bill Satchell 26 d. Des Pitts 21, but the result was cancelled out by the next result in the overall sceheme of play.

Norm Pech 11 lost to John Wallis 16, so the Richard Martin 18 to Ken Evans 14 result was the difference in the end. 

Memorial remains on top of the ladder with almost two game points in credit. 

The Memorial Blue side was at home to Penshurst and in this contest the final scores were Blue 65 to Penshurst 60. 

Ted Leahy defeated David Cook, 24-18, Steve Turner defeated Mick Ross by one and Gerry Watt lost to Brett Linke 18-20, leading to an overall result of 65-60.

Blue is now seventh and Penshurst dropped from third to sixth in the big reshuffle. 

The final game was a jolting win to Portland against Heywood.

John Rappard scored 36 - the highest team score of all games - to Mick Swan 10,

Barry Jennings with 25 to Rick Angelino’s 10, and Peter Cottier defeated Lance Price, 24-9.

That slipped Portland up a couple of rungs and Heywood to the bottom.

The positions on the ladder however are very close with second to sixth less than a game apart.

DIVISION two results saw Casterton maintain top spot with a two-rink win and overall margin of five shots against Hamilton, 54-49.

Gary Russell was defeated by Maurice Jolly, 14-22, and on the reverse side of the ledger, Neil Shannon defeated John Forsyth, 24-13.

Rink three had Andy Alderton playing Trev Schultz and the win went to the home team by two, 16-14.

Portland had the big win in this division, defeating Macarthur 78 to 33.

Alan Warburton 10 to Clifton Tonissen 26, Tom Alexander was back on the winners list with 18 to Jean Schroeder 12, and Heather Burgess scored 34 to Ken Handreck 11.

The ladder had minimal changes with only Portland and Hamilton swapping places; Casterton 55, Portland 46, Hamilton 38 and Macarthur 21.               

DIVISION three had the second closest game of the round when Memorial at home was defeated by Portland by two shots.

Ian Benbow 32 defeated Arthur Coates 19, Bert Roos 14 to Andy Smail 24, and Ronnie Robinson 16 lost to Alan Litowschenko 21.

It was club bragging rights on offer, as Hamilton Gold 57 lost to Hamilton Green 66.

Ray Fary 13 lost to Geoff Woods 30, Peter Clapham 24 beat Cliff Brinkman 18, and Denis Gay 20 slipped home by two against Maximillian Spiller 18.

Coleraine 58 defeated Grangeburn 49 in the final match-up, Alan McIntosh 21 defeated Nettie Ryan 11, Vern Spencer won scoring 19, L Moller 16 and Steve Cooper 18 lost to W. Hicks 22.

Hamilton Green moved up two places after its win to grab top spot with 68 points ahead of Hamilton Gold 52, Memorial 48, Portland 41, Coleraine 23 and Grangeburn with eight.

DIVISION four section one was impacted by the conditions with Macarthur v Hamilton Green abandoned, as the temperature got above 36 degrees, meaning the points were shared.

Penshurst 42 defeated Casterton 34, John Page 25 defeated Berniece Sullivan 11 and Denis Olle 17 lost to Nancy Sharam 23.

Dartmoor 40 defeated Heywood 32, Ross Kerr 19 to Thelma Hogan 16 and Ian Brown 21 defeated Rob Hamblin 16.

There were no changes to ladder, as Dartmoor remains on top with 56 points ahead of Penshurst 54, Hamilton Green 46. Macarthur 23, Casterton 17 and Heywood 14.

DIVISION four section two had one big win and one thriller.

Coleraine 44 d Grangeburn 25, Arthur Guy 29 to Peter Moore’s eight, and Lesley Beaton 15 lost to Gary Harris 17.

Balmoral and Dunkeld played out a tight contest with one shot the margin to Dunkeld. 40-39, against Balmoral.

Trish Brody 28 defeated Geoff Montgomery 16 and Wendell Timms 11 lost to Gary Wall 24.

Hamilton Gold had the bye.

The ladder reads Hamilton Gold 54 +72, who jumped above Balmoral, 54 +34, Coleraine 40 and Dunkeld 28.

Other news

WOMEN’S section championship of club singles champions was played in perfect conditions.

Five games were played in the morning, starting with Portland’s Heather Burgess defeated by Heywood’s Barb Moore, 13-26, Dartmoor’s Suzanne Tregellis was defeated by Balmoral’s Jenny Mutch, 27-9, and Portland Memorial’s Kim Overall was defeated by Coleraine’s Chris Rigby, 25-24.

Round two results were Hamilton’s Heather McIntyre was defeated by Grangeburn’s Robyn Thomassen, 25-23, Penshurst’s Ann Rentsch defeated Moore, 25-19, Mutch defeated Rigby, 25-10, and Macarthur’s Bev Bourke defeated Sandra Smolders, 25-10.

The next round will be played on Sunday at Hamilton and will feature Thomassen v Rentsch and Mutch v Bourke.

Thanks to the Portland club who supplied markers, scoreboard people and umpires. 

A lot of spectators enjoyed some great bowls.

The women’s section triples are to be played at Macarthur on February 5 and entries close on the February 3.