​Last weekend Steve & Rod won their semi final (very well done) and as a reward,  had to play two of the best seniors in the country in the final (Dave Shearer (a recent Australian team (Jackaroo) selection) and Terry Walder)  These two were the favourites for the title  from the day the draw was released, but our lads put up a good fight, and gave the favourites a fright early on.  What an experience for them and well done both of you. Runners up is a fantastic result and the Club is very proud of you!  

Many congratulations to Steven Goddard on his win in the Consistency Singles Final today against the Club Champion and the Club Pairs Champion Rod Silber.  See draw details attached below.  Bad luck Rod, but well done Steven! 

A close game, with a final score of 152-148.  It was unfortunate that there were few spectators to witness two very good bowlers battle it out.  But they must now  "make up" and fight on the same side this Saturday in the semi final of the Zone Senior pairs.  I am sure we all wish them all the best and hope that they can bring home that Championship to St Ives.

Steve got out to an early lead of 23-17 after 4 ends.  Then Rod went on a run to lead 95-75 by the 17th end. Steve then stepped up and by end 22 the scores were level... Game on! By end 27 Steve had overtaken Rod to lead 140-130. A couple of shared ends, then a 7 to Rod. On end 29 it was 148-142 in favour of Steve.  On the final end Rod played two beautiful bowls, one just in front of jack - the other a bowl behind. What could Steve conjure up? Steve played the bowl of the game and drew between Rods two bowls for shot and holding the 4 points he needed for the win.  Rod tried to displace Steve's shot bowl with a bit of a run but he missed and it was all over. A great game and congratulations to both players.
Report & photos by Mike Heath who was lucky to witness the closing stages of the game.

We saw an exciting and close Minor Singles final today. Barbara Woodfield played Deb Cox. Deb is a brand new bowler so it is very impressive that she made it through to the finals and played so well on the day.
The two ladies were neck and neck most of the way through the match, until the final few ends where Barbara held her nerve to win through with some lovely bowls.
​Well done to both players!

With a very COVID compressed calendar the Men’s Championship Triples started on 26th Sept. Two rounds have been played so far with some interesting results. Lots of new bowlers entered this year which is great to see.

Round 1 was played with a very strong cross wind which played havoc with some of the heads. Most results went as expected with a good win from Chris Wood’s team over 2019 Champions Roddy Silber’s team 30-19. One of our new bowlers, Michael Gruzin, had a strong game and is showing great promise.  The game of the round was probably Gill, Rosettenstien, Rosenberg vs Goddard, Greg Smith and Cheng. There were some great heads and great shots with the Wilsonator coming away with the victory 28-20.

Round 2 saw much better conditions with No2 running 14 ½ seconds and no wind. However, this round produced some lop sided games with the smallest winning margin being 12 shots and the largest 34 shots! Funny game is bowls.

We now have the semi finals set and these will be played on 17th Oct due to the Zone 9 Pairs being held this weekend. The combatants are:

Semi 1: Tony Wright, Bob Talbot and Uncle Joe Shofer vs Steven Goddard, Greg Smith and Wilson Cheng. This will be a tough game for both sides and the bookies have the odds at 5/3 team Wilsonator but good odds of 5/1 for team Uncle.

Semi 2: Michael Gruzin, John Cumming and Chris Wood vs Chris Bergman, Pete Shlager and James Barclay. The bookies again have a clear favourite of team Barclay at 5/3 and team Wood at 6/1 but never write off the underdog.
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Good luck and well wishes from all The Saints for all those competing in the Zone Pairs this weekend. We have some strong teams and some favourable draws so play well and take all the luck you can get! Remember that’s why bowls is not an Olympic sport. 

Roving Saints Reporter Chris (Scarey) Carey
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We saw a close final today - between Vicki Bartrop's team and Jan Woodcock's team. Unfortunately Jan couldn't play due to an injury so Bev Donnelley filled in and Joan Francis played skip.
Jan Kellett, Anne Cowlishaw and Vicki Bartrop held their lead throughout but it was pretty close - the score was 19:18 after 17 ends. Vicki's team held their nerve for the last few ends, winning 24:18. Congratulations and well played to all.
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Tim Walton and Peter Larcombe vs Rod Silber and Chris Carey

Well the final of the Men’s Championship Pairs has been and gone. Held on Wednesday 23rd to a packed No1 green and round 2 of the consistency singles on 4 rinks on Green No2, on our championship No2 green, rink No9 was the battlefield for this contest.

Two times Champions Tim “the Toolman” Walton and Peter “Cyclone” Larcombe were up against two times runners up Roddy “Rid” Silber and Chris “Scarey” Carey. Could team Cyclone pull off a Threepeat in the rematch of last year’s final?

Last year’s final was held on a day with cyclonic conditions which did not worry Peter who defied the wind all day for a convincing win. The conditions on Wednesday were much better, No2 running a clip over 15 seconds, slight but relatively consistent breeze running south east at a slight angle to the clubhouse. Bright sunshine, great to be alive and great bowling weather.

The rollup saw Rod go long and Tim go medium, no surprises here. On the first end Rod with the mat rolls dead short to the T. Hang on isn’t this guy the ditch to ditch king? Rid and CC score a 1 as Tim and Peter play some good draws. Ridley goes long, ditch to ditch and picks up a single, 2-0 team Scarey. Rod goes short to the ditch and the boys pick up a 2, 4-0. Rod goes ditch to ditch, is there a pattern developing? Bowls is a funny game; the first few ends are all about testing your opponents and looking for the weakness. Were Ridley and Scarey looking to upset the rhythm of their opponents?

Well the test failed and with great draw bowling Tim and Peter are holding 3, CC comes to the mat runs on the backhand and crosses the head. Peter draws a shot on the back hand. CC tries a draw on the backhand and drops short, Peter draws on the forehand and team Cyclone score a 5, 5-4 Tim and Peter.

Tim rolls a medium end, good drawing from Rod sees team CC score a 2, 6-5. Ridley goes long and Tim and Peter score a single then follow up with another singles, 7-6 team Cyclone after 7 ends, this one is close. Tim roles a medium end, Rod draws two good shots and Chris another two but Peter gets third shot, 2 down. Rod then plays a telling shot taking out Peter’s bowl after Tim went past the head a metre, holding 5 Rod and Chris. Peter misses with his first through the head shot. CC draws another and Peter again mises. 6 shots to Rod and Chris and 12-7 lead.

There are turning points in many games, sometimes multiple shots that change the course of the game. That shot of Rod’s created a momentum that would prove unstoppable, that and a change in tactics. Experienced bowlers know a few tricks and tips and CC learnt this one from his late father Dick Carey, life member of the Saints. Chris pulled Rod aside, Rod “I’m not sure the long game is working” CC “my father always said, “play a shorter man long and a taller man short” we are going short”. And off they went.

Short to the ditch south, short to the middle north, short to the ditch, short to the middle. Some say this is the same length, can’t be that hard. Well when you have a cross breeze that is bouncing off the club house in the middle and just pushing past the club house south the other way it makes four completely different hands in weight and grass.

Good draw bowls see Rod and Chris pick up two singles and a 3, 17-7 on the 11th end halfway mark. Rid goes short to the ditch and team CC hold 3 shots, Peter runs and the jack and puts it in the ditch for 2, a 5 shot turnaround and a great shot. Chris tries to draw on the backhand but hangs out wide. Peter draw another shot on the forehand and holds 3. Rod and Tim draw and Rod cuts it down to 2 shots. CC and Peter try to draw and get caught up in traffic. CC with his last bowl draw on the backhand leaving his bowl one inch in front of the jack. Peter runs at the bowl and just misses, 1 to team CC, 18-7. Rod and Chris continue the relentless pressure, Tim and Peter drawing in to cut down and Rod or Chris would trail the jack or remove the bowl. On the 18th end Tim and Peter pick up a single and it’s 28-8 to Rod and Chris who had just won 10 ends in a row prior. It is very difficult to claw back 20 shots with three ends to go and so the game concluded on the 19th end 32-8 to our new Pairs Champions Rod Silber and Chris Carey.

Commiserations Tim Walton and Peter Larcombe, you had a very good tournament and it is a significant achievement to win two in a row and be in the final three years running. No doubt we will see you feature prominently in next year’s Championship. Congratulations Rod and Chris, first time for everything!
 
 Report by Chris Carey from the home of the Saints