Please contact the selectors asap if there are any issues with availability.

After a disappointing start last week to the Mid-Week Challenge, our Grade C sides both bounced back with encouraging victories away from home yesterday. The St Ives (1) team had a very impressive 78-57 (6 pts to 0) win over Lane Cove (1). Meanwhile our St Ives (2) side edged out the Lindfield Rollers (2) side 62-57 (4 1/2 pts to 1 1/2).

Our Grade B side started their campaign away to Mosman. After a very close contest St Ives fell just short losing 70-76 (1 1/2 pts to 4 1/2).

Next week's fixtures see our Grade B team at home against the unbeaten Dee Why. In Grade C, St Ives (1) are away to Killara and St Ives (2) are away to Lane Cove (2). 

Please advise the selectors asap with any issues over availability.

It was a tough start for St Ives bowlers in Round 1 of the Zone 9 Mid-Week Challenge competition. Two sides in Grade C took to the green on Wednesday but both unfortunately fell to losses.

St Ives (1) were away at Forestville RSL and came up just short 60-63, a 4 pts to 2 loss on the ladder. Meanwhile St Ives (2) were at home against Balgowlah. This match turned into a rather decisive 5 pts to 1 defeat. The big board score was 50-62.

St Ives B Grade side had a bye in Round 1. Their competition begins next week away to Mosman.

Congratulations to Tim Walton & Peter Larcombe who took out the 2019 Pairs Championship on Saturday. The Final was played in cold & blustery conditions and the match was very close early on before Tim & Peter took control & held on for the win & repeat their triumph of last year. The final score was 22-13.

Well done, Greig.

Congratulations, Rod.

This account kindly provided by Geoff Rose.

It was a very exciting and close result at Lindfield last Friday where St Ives won the Roseville 6s trophy.
​In an usual situation where many teams had 3 wins (and no team had 4 wins), St Ives came in first by just one point.
Fantastic result ladies and well played by Di McBryde, Jan Woodcock, Rhonwen Martin, Bev Barton, Anne Cowlishaw & Vicki Bartrop (L to R in photo).

Here we are, the business end of the season, the semi-finals of the Men’s Pairs Championship and the crowd was at fever pitch!

Well maybe it was Uncle Joe holding court prior to the cards being called with comments of his team being “full of Spring Boks”. Even before the game began there was controversy. Some players had rolled up on the rink they were to play on and the same happened on the other match rink, so the skips quickly agreed to swap rinks. Your scribe was not involved as he only arrived 5 mins before the game after witnessing Waverly demolish his son’s team Barker in the U14’s rugby.
The green was running a shade under 14 seconds with no material breeze. Conditions were prime for some great bowls and we got them.

Rink 9 hosted Ross Yates and John Swann against “Rocket Rid” Roddy Silber and Chris “Scarey” Carey. Jumping out to a 9 shot lead after 4 ends Rod and Chris looked the goods. But Ross kept drawing nicely and placing his opponents constantly under pressure and by the 10th end Ross and Swanny had won 4 ends to 6 but trailed 13-5. Still in the hunt. Then they throw a short end and the Ridster drew beautifully with CC adding a couple. Swanny ran at the pack narrowly missing, 5 to Rid and CC.

Ross and John fought back drawing nicely and collecting a 3. 18-8 Rod and Chris. Some good draw bowling and conversions saw Roddy and CC win the next 5 ends which put the game out of reach with Rod and Chris closing it out on the 20th. Well done Ross and John and commiserations, tough opponents but you put up a sound fight.

Rink 10 saw Geoff “Puss” Rose and Chris “Dead Eye” Bergman taking on Tim “the tool man” Walton and Peter “No 10” Larcombe. 8 ends to 12 is relatively close but multiples again played their part. Puss got on the jack early and he and Chris started with a 2. 3 all on the 4th and this was looking close. But a 2 then a 4 and a couple of singles to Timmy and Pete saw them out to an 11-3 lead. Chris was dreadfully unlucky on several conversions and Peter was heard to say “great bowl, unlucky result” more than once. We have all had those days, hit the wrong side of a bowl, get a little rub when you don’t want it, sail through a hole the size of a bowl, frustrating as it is that is bowls. And that’s why it is not an Olympic sport.

And on it went with Puss and Chris managing to score singles but not the multiples to catch up. Take nothing away from Tim and Peter, they bowled very well with Peter converting many ends. 19th end saw Chris down looking to drive the jack dead only to send it in the pit 1 down. All done on the 20th with Tim and Peter closing it out 21-11. The score differential doesn’t reflect the quality of the bowls. Commiserations Geoff and Chris and congratulations Tim and Peter. Can you go back to back?

So, the final is next Saturday, and it will be a cracker! I can’t wait but I am a little nervous. Therefore, an early start next Saturday morning for me with some quite time listening to Ravi Shankar before heading to the club. Hope to see you all there. Even if you are not playing join the gallery and have a few beers, it will be well worth watching this display of (hopefully) precision bowls from some of our club’s best.

Story by Chris Carey. Other budding storytellers are welcome to submit their stories of club events to Gerard Coggans, Sue Byrne or Mike Heath to be considered for the website.

It is a sign of spring approaching when the Zone 9 Mid-Week Challenge draw is published along with our week 1 teamsheet. This year St Ives will be fielding one team in Grade B and two in Grade C.

Please contact the selectors asap if there are any issues with availability.