Morning matches:
Women’s Premier vs Johnsonville
A superb start to the interclub season for the women’s premier team, beating Johnsonville 23-1. Tanya Wheeler up against Dale Rayner was down 23-24 on a tricky rink, and down on the head when drew a match saver. With the scores 24-24, Tanya had a superb final end. Drawing two shots then covering with her last two. Dale played her backhand which swung more than expected, then switched to forehand on what looked an ok line but it barely turned.
The pairs won by miles, and the fours were ahead most of the match.
Singles: Win 25-24
Pairs: Win with bonus
Fours: Win with bonus
Victoria 23 – 1 Johnsonville
Men’s Premier vs Silverstream (repeat of last years interclub final)
Robbie Bennett had a tight tussle with Adam Turner, but the quality drawing of Adam Turner saw him nudge ahead towards the end.
Pairs were down 31-7 then showed the good bowls they are capable of to make it look a bit more respectable. Even got close to stopping the bonus, but it gives them some momentum going into the afternoon at Plimmerton.
Fours in a tight match. With the scores at 12-12 after 14 ends, Roy Gibb played a stunning draw off the bank to move it a yard as called for, and they picked up a four. They then consolidated by picking up a shot to be five ahead with two to play. Fours then four ahead on the last end. Silverstream lead drew two good shots, then with their third bowl of the end, they got a toucher to have 3 bowls within a foot. Possibly four down on the head as Roy’s second bowl on the run sailed just past the group of shot bowls. Bazza with his first bowl on the run, he got the edge of the group to reduce it to two down. Aaron with his last bowl had a shot for four, just needed to roll the kitty a few rolls. After long discussions he made a very good effort, rolled one of the shots onto the kitty, but possibly on the wrong hand which meant the kitty rolled more sideways than back. They only held two so Victoria fours hung on for an important win.
Singles: Lost
Pairs: Lost by bonus
Fours: Win by 1
Victoria 7 – 16 Silverstream
Men’s Division 3 vs Plimmerton
Colvin with an atrocious start in his singles, played 3 bowls miles short, then got wooded on his own to drop a four. Colvin was basically incapable of winning an end back towards the clubhouse, he didn’t manage to until the 15th end. But he sussed out the backhand away from the club where he just drew 6 metres heavier than any other hand and it would finish with a good weight. After cracking it back towards the club he picked up a couple of fours in the second half to run away with it.
Pairs went behind early. As they started a comeback, Calum was desperately unlucky when he moved the jack to hold 5 but it crept out of bounds.
The fours had American David playing at two in the fours, a late callup to play his first bowls match. He said howdy to the kitty a few times, getting the most touchers out of anyone in their team! They were very tight most the way, but a couple of ends went against them and Plimmerton stretched out a bit of a lead. Lost by 7 shots in the end, not a bad effort for a team that was scratched together last minute.
Singles: Win 25-17
Pairs: Lost by bonus
Fours: Lost
Victoria 7 – 15 Plimmerton
Afternoon matches
Women’s Prems:
After the dream start in the morning, they switched their team round and didn’t get as good results at Petone Central. Got one win, but a day of four of six would be a good outcome at start of day.
Men’s Prems
Bazza at skip of the fours played some great bowls all day, including towards the end of the Prem Fours, he grabbed the kitty for a big five. With the with the fours picking up a five the next end as well, it was a bonus win for them.
Men’s Div 3:
Singles: LOSER
Pairs: Winners:
Fours: Loss\
We had Colvin up by a mile in the singles, loving life, then choked. With Colvin several shots ahead, he was mentally broken as a few bits of luck went against him, and his performance declined. From nailing it, he started struggling. From well ahead early, he ended up behind. To be fair to the old soldier, he did pitch a comeback of his own.
At 23-24 down, J/Ville drew two on the kitty. Colvinator walked up to the mat, having a bowl right at the back, Calum gave him the sage advice of ‘Smash it Colvinator’. Colvinator walked up, let it go beautifully, he screamed KITTY, KITTY, KITTY, He had kitty all the way, but the kitty went out of bounds, and Colvin fell backwards onto the green in disbelief in what could’ve been an amazing match winner but not quite.