Skips deliver for Queenscliff
QUEENSCLIFF maintained its excellent early season form with another good win, this time over City of Geelong, to remain unbeaten three rounds into the midweek pennant season.
The combined talents of its top rinks again saw the competition’s leading skips — Henry Dahler and Kevin Thompson — dominate play yesterday on the good running green at Drumcondra. The Dahler rink of Dianne Price (lead), Glen Byers (second and Dianne Roberts (third) bowled consistently to score by an impressive 29-18 shots.
After three rounds, the Dahler rink has scored 114 to 50 shots over its opponents and holds together an integral core of key players for the Queenscliff club.
City of Geelong played well but found the overall depth of Queenscliff too strong.
Jacqueline McLaren and Barrie Close were locked in a battle throughout with the McLaren rink holding on for a thrilling one-shot win.
Ocean Grove (1) took to its home rinks against Ocean Grove (2) in what was expected to be a close encounter.
Enter Matt Flapper and the seasoned expert soon asserted his authority on the green as the top team moved away to score an impressive 22-shot win.
And those 22 shots were all scored on the Flapper rink with a 35-13 win over Val Cook with superb control and length.
Torquay held on to fourth pace on the ladder with a solid 16-0 (24 shot) win over Geelong Cement.
The clean sweep win was attributed to a team combination across all three rinks over the 75 ends.
With the new open format for the midweek competition, the Torquay selectors split the combination of Alan Sampson and Karen Harrington to good advantage with both leading their rinks to good wins.
The Harrington rink of Corry Hooiveld (lead), Shirley Owen (second) and Wayne Canning (third) have played good bowls in its three rounds holding 33 shots over its two wins.
After the opening three rounds the top four has opened a 10-point gap over the rest of the competition with next week’s round seeing the top two sides Queenscliff and Ocean Grove (1) play at Queenscliff.
In Division 2, Bannockburn continued on its winning way with a 23-shot win over Point Lonsdale.
With two of its three skips in the top two positions on the leading skips ladder the Tigers look set for a solid season.
They will be tested next round when they play St Leonards at the seaside green.
St Leonards notched a 24shot win over Clifton Springs on the Springs’ green.