Awesome Geraldton Foursome
Played Friday 7th March 2014 Under the lights of the Osborne Park green, the 2014 Crown Perth Men’s Countryweek came to end with the final bowls of the Men’s Fours Competition.
With two titles on the line, the Crown Perth Fours Champions and the Bignell Shield for the Outstanding Club of Countryweek, it was the Geraldton four of Merv Grigsby, Joe Cukela, Terry Williamson and Brad Criddle who lead the way for their club. The Geraldton club has had its fair share of success over the years but it had been six years since the clubs last fours title and ten years since they could claim to be the Kings of Countryweek. With a successful supporting cast of Michael Ford in the singles semi finals and Ford again in the pairs with partner Jim Taylor it was left to the Grigsby four to finish the job.
In the Semi Finals Grigsby had a shot for shot battle with Max Lancaster, Luke Miguel, Gerald Cashmore and Irwin Andrews (Beacon) before prevailing 16-15. The other semi final saw James Jaworski, Ashley Grundy, Murray Hasson and Barrie Bywater (Toodyay) take control in the middle stages and then keep the buffer to the end to defeat Dean Tinley, Eric McCarthy, Barry Matthews and Alan Cowie (Mandurah) 21-13.
The final did not start until the late afternoon due to the pairs commitments of Toodyay’s James Jaworski and Ashley Grundy and it was the Toodyay team that used that extra playing time to their advantage and take an early 5-1 lead. With Grigsby then winning three ends in a row to level the scores and then go shot for shot over the next six ends it seemed like a grandstand finish was in the offing at 11 all and three ends to play. However the Geraldton four was having none of that and with a three, four, four finish they ran away with a 22-11 victory to take the 2014 Crown Perth Fours Title and secure the Oustanding Club of Men’s Countryweek for the Geraldton Bowling Club.
Final Fours Knockout Results
