Meet the Mandurah APL Teams: Sorrento
Played Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September 2016 The Sorrento Bowling Club will make their debut at the 2016 Mandurah APL Cup and have selected a very talented line up to represent the club.
Prior to European settlement the Whadjuk aboriginal tribe called the area Mooro and gathered abalone and shellfish of the nearby reef. The first European in the area was Patrick Marmion where he operated a whaling station in the area in 1949, remains of the old whaling station can be found at the present-day Surf Lifesaving Club site. The suburb now known as Sorrento was not surveyed until 1929 when it became popular to fishermen with many boatsheds and shacks along the coast line. Residential buildings began forming in the 1950’s including the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions buying land at what was then the end of the West Coast Highway,
The Sorrento Bowling Club was established under the incorporations act in 1976 and is now part of the very popular sporting precinct of Percy Doyle Reserve. Boasting five grass greens as well as croquet greens, the club has established it self as not only a leader and winner of awards in the bowling community but also as an award winner in Clubs WA awards. The Sorrento Bowling Club has over 500 members and continues to improve its facilities to cater for its members and the surrounding community
The Sorrento Bowling Club will have vast experience representing them with Chris Lander, Kathy Gobbart, Bruce Eagles and Pauline Bourne making the trip to the Mandurah APL Cup.
Chris Lander began bowling in 1970 and can claim to have played with and against most of the legends in the Bowls WA Hall of Fame. Compiling 6 Club Singles titles with 1 being at Subiaco and 5 at Cambridge, Chris has also been runner up in the WA State Pairs and Triples and three times equal 3rd in the WA State Singles. Chris was a WA State representative in 1991 and 24 years later was selected in the WA Over 60’s State team for the first time. With over 46 years of experience and still winning major club titles, Chris will give Sorrento a chance in every game he plays.
Until recently Kathy Gobbart has been a staple of Women’s State Teams since 1995. With WA State titles in Singles, Pairs and Triples there is very little Kathy has not achieved since she began playing in 1980. Now she is adding Over 60’s titles to her resume with wins in the State Over 60’s Singles and Pairs Competitions. To round it all off, Kathy is a 5 times Country Bowler of the Year while representing Gingin. Pressure will not be an issue when Kathy takes to the Mandurah greens.
Bruce Eagles is a relative newcomer when compered to his team mates having only started in 2009. However Bruce won the Sorrento Club Singles in only his 2nd year and followed that up with another win in the 2015 Sorrento Club Singles. A Runner up in last seasons WA Over 60’s Singles shows Bruce continues to improve with the experience of Mandurah likely to see him reach another level.
Pauline Bourne began playing in the early 2000’s and has been an important member in both Sorrento Pennant wins and finals of Sorrento Club events. A win in the Sorrento Club consistency singles recently showed she is ready for the Mandurah APL Cup to drive her to the next level with some of the best players in the game showing her the way forward.
With this line up the Sorrento Bowling Club are going to be hard to stop in their pursuit of the Mandurah APL Cup.
