DESPITE initial fears that the opening and closing sessions of the croquet season would both be rained out, last Thursday’s weather took a turn for the better in the morning, allowing play to go ahead.
Only Ricochet games were played in the morning and results varied dramatically.
Glenyce Kuilboer and Trevor Wilson finished just ahead of Graeme Wallis and Carol Anderson, 25 hoops to 23, and John Haydon and John Brader were just pipped at the post by Val Wallis and Richard Stevenson, 20 to 21.
However, the other two games were slightly more one-sided with Glenda Holcombe overcoming a slump mid game to finish ahead of Ron Smith and Denise Stevens, 25 to 14, and Wendy Hobbes was too strong for Judy Partington, pegging out with 26 hoops to 12.
Thursday afternoon’s games took place in bright sunshine.
The three games of Ricochet games saw three peg outs.
David Morrison made 26 hoops to John Brader 22, Holcombe and Helen Morrison pegged out ahead of Partington and Hobbes, 26 to 23, and Barb Smith was successful in her game against Margaret Donehue and Linley Bramall, 26 hoops to 11.
The fourth game was timed out with Lorraine Matthey and Anderson finishing with 25 hoops to Liz Brinkman and Stevens 19.
In the round of Association games, Ron Smith led Haydon, 16 to 10, at the end of play, Graeme Wallis finished with nine hoops to Kuilboer’s five, and Helen Hadden and Lesley Hobbs made 15 hoops to Cicely Fenton’s six.
The afternoon finished with an afternoon tea and the presentation of awards to the club Ricochet champion, Holcombe, and the club Association champion, Graeme Wallis.
Saturday saw the last official games of the season played with Association players from Portland and Hamilton clubs vying to win the Valerie Wolff Tournament, while Ricochet players competed in a round robin competition.
Stevenson and Kuilboer were the winners of the Valerie Wolff Tournament, with Schneider and Fenton the runners-up.
The round robin competition was narrowly won by Anderson with 69 hoops to Tim O’Brien and Helen Morrison with 68 hoops each.
A big thank you to Schneider for so ably organizing a successful games day.
From May to September only social games will be played, depending on the weather and the availability of the courts.
Hamilton Bowling Club report
JACK WALDRON
THE club is gearing up for one of its biggest events this Saturday, with over 80 players from all over the Western District joining our members for a great day of bowling, beautiful food and prime lamb prizes.
Hopefully the weather will be fine.
I have been unable to ascertain whether the red lamingtons will be there for afternoon tea.
There was superb autumn weather for social bowls on both Thursday and Saturday with large numbers joining in.
What a delight for the club’s coaches to see Rhonda Dunbar and Margaret Graham bowling with superb technique and great control.
Look out for next season’s championship events.
On Thursday the competition was so fierce that nobody could win all their games.
The best score went to the women’s power team of Elma Astbury, Fay Gebert and Rhonda Dunbar with two wins and a draw.
Close behind was Peter Moller who skipped Russell Sherren and Norm Schwarz also with two wins and a draw.
On Saturday two greens were full with a pairs competition on A green and triples on B.
Two members of the BABS (bowling arm brigade), Jenny Pole and Kevin Buck, were the winners with Rob Baker and Cliff Brinkmann second on A green with Mal Brinkmann, Peter Graham and Cate Levett a power packed combination on B green, winning their three games (the only three game winners for the whole week).
Bruce Marks, John Forsyth (BAB) and Rex Wedding (a fierce some fast bowler in his younger days) were second.
To our members who are unable to bowl at the moment, hurry back, we miss you.
It was quite a day at the club on Saturday with 30 social bowlers, a big birthday celebration and the final of the major/minor pairs.
In a wonderful match with a spine-tingling finish (a one cm. measure to decide the winners), Peter Graham and Ron McDonald triumphed against a gallant Peter Clapham and Kevin Buck.
There were several sidelights to this match - McDonald and Buck the leaders for their team bowled superbly in a great contest.
Clapham turned up for the championship with a new set of bowls which he had never used before and a new bowling arm and proceeded to bowl superbly.
The superlatives for Graham keep on coming.
He now holds the club pairs championship with Richard Martin, the mixed pairs with wife, Margaret, the major/minor pairs with Ron McDonald and the Association pairs with Rob Baker.
This has never been done before.
There were great attendances at social bowls on both the previous Thursday and Saturday.
Two separate competitions were held on Thursday.
On A green, the triples was won by Peter Clapham, John Crane and Don Walter.
Second was Trever Schultz, Ray Fary and Marg Graham.
On B green, the pairs event was won by Bill Satchell and Syd Barnes with Diane Brody and Baker second.
On Saturday, the triples team of Jack Waldron, Ray Fary and Derik Hill won the day after scoring three, two and one for the three closest bowls to kitty.
Bill Satchell, John Forsyth and Norm Schwarz were second.
The Prime Lamb Day is only two weeks away and starts at 10am with casual dress.
It is a single-entry event with the match committee arranging players from all clubs.
The gourmet chefs - Max, Rob and Pom will organise your lunch and there will be a sumptuous afternoon tea.
A new ferocious group of 17 bowlers called the BABS (bowling arm brigade) has been formed at the club, possibly to challenge the dominant group the Lethal Lefties.
Could this be the start of World War III? … I'll keep you posted.
Darts
CHRIS WORTHY
HAMILTON and District Darts Association’s round 10 matches saw some great darts thrown, as players are now getting back into the groove of playing every week.
This was extremely evident out at Condah where Armed and Hammered defeated Bushrangers, 6-3.
Armed and Hammered got off to a fantastic start, winning all four doubles in a good team performance.
Then came the best singles game of the year with Ben Leehane taking on Bushies’ Brendan Galloway.
Leehane won in three legs, throwing five tons and pegging 35 and four in 23-dart and 19-dart legs.
Galloway wasn’t far behind in the game that could have gone either way, throwing three 140s and a ton in the three legs and got a peg of 40.
Bushies added some respectability to the score when Bruce Shepherd won his single with pegs of 36 and eight, followed by teammate, Mark Bunting, on four and 40.
In the teams game at the end of the night, Bushies’ Lee Peach pegged 32, but Armed and Hammered won the night, 6-3.
In the second game of the night, Chuckers defeated 3 Men and a Boy, 6-3, at the Commercial Hotel.
Mark Hibberd got 3 Men and a Boy off to the perfect start, pegging 52 in the first doubles, but Brendan Jackway was quick to get one back for Chuckers when he pegged eight in the next.
Dave Milich for 3 Men and a Boy then kept the pressure on, pegging 12 in the third doubles, but Troy Snell made sure the scores were all tied up again when he pegged the last doubles on eight.
Snell then went into the first singles full of confidence and it showed, pegging 20 and 40 to give Chuckers the lead.
When Jackway pegged 40 and 18 and Dave Anderson 40 and two, Chuckers had won with a couple of games to spare.
In the last game of the night, Emu Creekers travelled across the road to the Cally to take on Hurricanes and left victorious, 6-3.
The Doubles were an evenly fought out affair with both teams getting a couple and all the pegs on 40.
Into the first singles and Hurricanes’ Luke Walkenhorst continued his terrific season, winning his singles with pegs of 20 and 32.
Emu Creekers then got to work, winning the next three singles with Riagan Devoy starting the run with pegs of 16 and 70, followed by teammates, Chris Worthy 21 and 40 and Marianne Finn 46 and 40.
Emu Creekers got the final game thanks to Worthy with a peg of 40.
