Henry Slawinski Shooting for a Title
Men’s Countryweek Men’s Countryweek will move into the last day with only one player remaining in contention for multiple titles with Eaton’s Geoff Whyatt still in the singles and fours competitions.
Joining Whyatt in the singles semi finals at Osborne Park Bowling Club on Friday morning will be Don Buegge (Cunderdin), Brett Baker (Dudley Park) and Michael Ford (Geraldton).
Buegge has been one of the quiet achievers in the Blue Ribbon Singles event, quietly going about his business with comfortable victories in his last two outings. Cunderdin has a rich history of Countryweek winners and finalists although it has been a number of years since the club has laid claim to a Countryweek Champion. Don Buegge is well poised to end that drought.
It would surprise no one when Dudley Park is mentioned as one of the major clubs in country Western Australia. But what would surprise many is the fact that Dudley Park have never had a Countryweek Champion in any discipline. Not a Fours title, not a Pairs title and certainly not a Singles title. Brett Baker has the opportunity to change that when play begins tomorrow. Close wins in his last three games with a high standard win against country legend Henry Slawinski in the quarter finals, leaves Baker with the knowledge he has the form to go all the way.
Geoff Whyatt has had an outstanding week and will be looking to finish off like he started and come away with some silverware. Whyatt knows what it takes to win the Countryweek Singles title but he has had to work hard to get this far. An outstanding 21-20 marathon win over Hayden Smith (York) was followed by a 21-16 win over Ross Warburton (Brunswick) and then he took care of another member of the Smith family when he defeated Justin 21-15. Getting to the last day of the week is a physical challenge for everybody but even more so when you get through in more than one event and quite often player are running on memory and at the moment it seems Whyatt’s memory is pretty good.
Geraldton’s Michael Ford has been dominating the bottom section of the singles with recent 21-9 and 21-10 wins. Ford is a previous winner of the Countryweek Fours in 2008 so he has shown he knows how to take a Countryweek trophy home. Geraldton is another country club with a great pedigree at countryweek and Ford will be following a long line of Geraldton Champions if he can go home with the Blue Ribbon Singles.
While the Singles may be the ultimate individual trophy the fours and pairs are no less of an achievement. Wonthella will be hoping to have an all Wonthella final when Henry Slawinski and Bill Johnson (Wonthella) take on Warren Holt and Scott Davidson (Wagin) in the Countryweek Pairs first semi final while Geoff Halliday and Eddie Dodd (Wonthella) play Brian Gearing and Adrian Chesson (Merredin) in the second semi final. All pairs are filled with class country bowlers with Slawinski, Dodd and Gearing all previous Countryweek Singles winners. While a winner is difficult to pick the guarantee of high quality games is a certainty.
The Countryweek Fours competition is wide open with most players shooting for their first titles. Apart from Eaton’s Whyatt and Shaun Heasman (1994 singles) all players haven’t been able to take trophy home even though all teams have a vast arrange of experience.
The first Semi Final sees Don Jones, Don MacPherson, Norm Wass and Don Dellar (Wongan Hills) against Mark Mills, Shaun Heasman, Geoff Whyatt and Gordon Twist (Eaton). On the rink next door will be Eugene O’Sullivan, Ashley Grundy, Keith Strahan and Branco Andrijich verses Dick Hitsert, Mervyn Davis, John Bowring and Dennis Wilkinson.
