by Jack Rollings
Saturday pennant. Temperature mid-twenties. Not much breeze. Close enough to perfect conditions for bowling.
Monbulk 1 played at home against Mitcham 2.
Tony French’s team dropped a four shot clanger on the second end but regrouped immediately to score their own four shotter on the next end. After that, Monbulk dominated the scoreboard, only dropping five more ends for the day, all for minor scores.
Monbulk won the rink 29 shots to 10.
Jim Bras’ team played with confidence for most of the day, dropping only five ends. Unfortunately, two of those ends were clangers that put Mitcham back into the game. But Monbulk managed to pick up a couple of 3s and a 4, and with sixteen ends won, they took the rink assuredly 26 shots to 13.
Brian Smith’s team had the close one. 9 shots all going into the ninth end and 13 shots all going into the fourteenth end. Then disaster struck and Monbulk dropped a 5-shot clanger to give Mitcham a sizeable lead. Monbulk steadied and recouped that clanger over the next four ends, with only a single shot separating them with two ends to go.
Then, in a tight battle, it was Mitcham to finish the stronger.
Monbulk lost the rink 20 shots to 22.
Eric Markham’s team had a close front half with level scores on five occasions. But in the back half, and especially in the run home, Monbulk took the game on with a couple of big
scores. They built a margin that Mitcham could only nibble at.
Monbulk won the rink 24 shots to 16.
Overall Monbulk won 99 shots to 61 with three rinks up.
It was a confidence booster when they needed it. They now have recorded four wins and five losses and are in sixth spot on the ladder. After the summer break Monbulk will face Upwey-Tecoma on the away ground.
With only five more matches for the season, it will be important to grab every chance and every rink win.
Monbulk 2 travelled down to Berwick to play their fifth side.
Peter Lee’s team won ten ends and fought off the opposition whenever they drew close. A couple of big 4 shotters built a comfortable margin and they won the rink 21 shots to 16.
Mike Harris’ team won nine ends but gave away five 4s and two 3s, and those clangers totalled more than the losing margin.
Monbulk lost the rink 12 shots to 34.
Peter Koomen’s team had a close front half. Then they were up by 5 shots going into the seventeenth end. Then Berwick claimed the mat in the run home, including three 3s in a row.
Monbulk lost the rink 15 shots to 22.
Andy Smith’s team struggled in the front half, scoring only two singles and trailing by 10 shots. After the break they dropped four more ends in a row to trail by 18 shots. In the run
home Monbulk fought back strongly and reduced the margin but it was not enough to frighten Berwick.
Monbulk lost the rink 10 shots to 21.
Overall Monbulk lost the round 58 shots to 93 with one rink up. They are now sixth on the ladder with four wins and five losses. A top four spot is looking difficult to achieve but there are five more rounds in the season after the summer break and those rounds could make all the difference.
