Garfield’s glum start to 2020

It was a glum start to 2020 for Garfield Bowls Club.

After waiting through the Christmas break for the resumption of pennant, and with midweek pennant yet to resume, only the Saturday sides played this week. Unfortunately, neither side could manage a win.

Division two: Garfield lost to Warragul 77/89.

While all the games were close as the club’s top side played at home, Garfield went down overall.

Ian Warren’s rink, consisting of Adrian Helmuth, Brian Fox and Alan White, started with a two-shot first end, but their opposition responded with seven shots before they scored again.

Scoring was even from then, but that fiveshot difference remained. Garfield lost 17/22.

The rink of Gary Payne, Ron Saunders, Steve Bassed and skip Steve Whyte started slowly to be down by 12 shots at the break. However, a spirited fightback in the second half saw them reduce that deficit to five, to lose 18/23.

Tom Cleary and his team of Stuart Gemmill,

Colin Mills and Shane Oliver bolted out of the gates to lead 9/0. They still led at the break but couldn’t keep it up. Outscored in the second half, they went down 21/25.

The only winning rink for the day was that of Barrie Smith, Judy Pocklington, Margaret Ratcliffe and skip Peter Lieshout. They started well to be six shots up at the break.

However, a nap after the break, saw that lead slip to a four-shot deficit. A final lunge at the tape, with six shots in the last three ends, got them over the line to win 21/19.

This overall loss drops the side to fifth on the ladder and a lot to do to make finals.

Division four: Garfield (2) defeated Traralgon (4) 76/107.

Garfield went to the other end of the division to play ladder leaders Traralgon and was handed a lesson in the difference between the quality of first and fourth on the ladder.

Barry Johnson’s rink, consisting of Malcolm Newham, Garry Salomons and Ray Biffin kept with their opposition through the first half; down by only two shots at the halfway mark. However, they fell away to lose 15/25.

Despite being three-shots all after three ends, the rink of Alan Wilson, Damian Brick, Helene Newton and skip Gordon Moxey couldn’t keep up the pace. They went down 17/27.

Bob Lamport’s rink of Wes Goodman, Peter Smith and Don Knight were the best performed Garfield rink, being one shot up at the break and two shots up with two ends to go. A last burst by Traralgon saw Garfield lose 24/26.

The rink of Frank Prins, Cliff Stephens, Graeme Burton and skip Rod James started well, with four shots in the first two ends. After trailing by two at the break, the second half played out the same, with the James gang winning six shots early to lead by four. Their opponents came storming home to inflict a 20/29 loss.

Despite the loss, Garfield remains in fourth place on the ladder.