Steve, Bob make Pro 10 play-offs

IT was a busy week at Wanderers Bowling Club, starting off on Wednesday when 20 teams participated in the Roadrunners pairs.

Wentworth visitors John Somerville and Herbie Roux had the best score in the first of two sessions with a 2+18, and mirroring that score in the second session were Mike Flack and Anne Smit.

The overall winners were the hubby and wife team of Joan and Alan Bruce who scored a creditable 4+25. Hopefully, this will get Alan onto the greens more often, as Joan’s normal partner was not available so she dragged him out ‘kicking and screaming’ to play with her. It paid off well, Joan.

Ken Koch was lucky with the draws, winning the meat raffle as well as the minor spoils of the 60/40 board. Lofty Cawthorne took the lion’s share (R40), as well as being one of the skips to score a drawn prize with Colin Howes. Bob Hayward and Jeff Cronje were the leads to win drawn prizes. Nobody won the lotto which will be a carry over.

A few club competitions were played. In the men’s nominated pairs Lofty and Ken Koch defeated Robbie Carr and Jeff Cronje 30-12, then in the men’s drawn trips Steve Van Rooyen, Peter Tayfield and Johan Nel got the better of Eric Kitchenbrand, Ken Thomas and Dave Faifer by 21-16, and Graham Funnell, Errol Pienaar and Eric Miller stole the match by two shots on the last end after garnering a five from Eric Smit, Archie Fisher and Shawn McAlister.

On Friday, 10 January, the first of a few fun twilight trips matches was played.

At only R10 per head to enter it is hoped this will gather momentum in the Fridays that follow, as the proceeds go towards the teams going down to Cape Town to play in nationals later this year. A worthy cause.

Bowlers are invited to enter, and to invite their non bowling friends to join in. It is in mufti, and play is scheduled to start at 5.30pm. Call either Pat McGlynn on 082-964-3842 or Mike Flack on 083-227-1900 to enter or confirm your team.

Saturday’s bowling section’s AGM went off without a hitch. Arnie Harper was elected as president, as Mike Flack wanted to ‘try his hand’ at being the men’s competition secretary, with Margaret Kitchenbrand staying on as the women’s counterpart. William Richardson takes over as honorary secretary from Barbara Neill, who with her hubby Jimmy leaves for England in a few days’ time. Jean Edley takes over the reins as treasurer. These executives will be assisted by general committee members Erics Smit and Kitchenbrand, Chris Klopper and Shawn McAlister. The men’s selection committee will comprise Jeff Bolt, Bob Hayward, Erics Swanson and Smit, and the women’s selectors are Jo-Anne Jordaan, Gwen Tait, Joan Bruce and Lorraine Du Preez.

Sunday saw the start of the newly introduced Pro 10 championship, round robin stage.

Four teams competed from the Wanderers camp. Steve Van Rooyen and Bob Hayward, playing at Hillary, did well to win all five of their matches, and are the sole club representatives going to the play-offs next Sunday. Play is at Stella Park.

Sunday was also the running of the club’s regular breakfast trips and although there were a few ‘pairs’ teams owing to it being January and some players in the Pro 10, organiser Jeff Bolt managed a full 24 teams, thus filling the two greens available. Two 60/40 boards were sold, which resulted in Sharon DeKok and Titch Phillips picking up the main share (R40 each) with Nicola Bauristhene and Honey Kitchenbrand having to settle for R20 each. First session went the way of Jumbo Nel, William Richardson and Dave Swanson while Mitch Mitchley, Trish Overington and Annie Smit took the second. Overall winners were Stella Park’s Kim and Lorinne Hawkins with Trevor Varkevisser and in second place overall were Ken Koch, Val McCaffrey and Andy Cloete. Val also won the pork raffle. The sportsman’s prize went to the pair’s team of Peter Tayfield and Johan Nel. Time was made for everybody present to make a fuss of Jimmy and Barbara Neill and to wish them bon voyage, this being their last day in Durban before departing for England to unite with family. They will be sorely missed.

Upcoming events: This Wednesday is Lyn Wild’s pairs in mufti. Ron Jackson will take your calls on 076-034-1055 and on Sunday it is the running of the any combination fours, skins. Call Bob Hayward on 076-403-2265 or Jeff Bolt on 082-808-7793 to confirm your team. The upcoming Wanderers night bowls league will be played on Tuesday and Thursday nights consecutively, starting on Tuesday, 4 February through until Tuesday, 18 March when prizegiving will be held. Call Jean Edley on 079-548-8046.

The snowball of R1,300 was not won as Terry Brown is away on holiday. The various meat pack winners were: Lamb pack Clive Symons, chicken pack Dan Paruk, rump steak Chris Fourie, pork ribs Brian Craig, chicken Robbie Carr.

The club mourns the death of two of its members Mel Le Febour and Claude Bond and heartfelt condolences are offered to their respective families. Also to Dennis Gericke whose Pretoria son-in-law died on New Year’s Eve.

Snippet: A common fault with many bowlers is the dreaded ‘outside-in’ swing, which results in a narrow bowl. This can be rectified by keeping the arm close to the body on the backswing and tucking the back leg in behind the other and out of the way when coming forward. And as always, the exaggerated follow-through to point of aim gets the bowl off on the right line. Then it’s a matter of correct weight control.