Eagles foursome win Mixed Masters
Sorrento’s Bruce Eagles was able to steer his team of Murray Hulbert, Kerry Hutchinson and Coral Smith to victory in the $5000 Sorrento Mixed Masters Fours. Despite a few showers across the two days the matches were able to be completed in reasonably good conditions with some terrific bowls action on display.
The competition started with 30 strong teams, each with two males and two females who had qualified to enter by winning a club championship. A blind draw saw the sides compete in three matches across the first day of play on Sunday with the top 8 ranked teams progressing to finals. Six teams were undefeated, these were skipped by Ball (Composite), Buchanan (Composite), Pauling (Composite), Rhett Butler (Composite), Eagles (Composite) and Wilkinson (Composite) which left two spots for teams with two wins and the best shot difference. Anthony Einfeld with a +21 was the 7th team through to qualify whilst amazingly three other teams all finished with a +17 differential which left competition officials reaching for the calculator to split them on percentage. In the end it was Sean Mawdsley 153% and his Composite side who scraped through ahead of Mark Douthie (North Beach) 150% and Blake Nairn (Composite) 146%.
Knockout play for the top 8 teams took place on Monday with the 8th ranked Mawdsley and his team of Mark Rollings, Pam Chalmers and Helen Stevens upsetting the top ranked team of Brad Ball, Chris Lander, Irene Arndt and Pauline Bourne 16-14. Darren Wilkinson’s team were another upset win defeating the talented team of Glen Pauling, Scott Walker, Lee Poletti and Kerry Andersen 15-11. Bruce Eagles side overcame a gallant Rhett Butler with Leith Oldham, Shelley Jeffs and Lily Rughoobur 15-14 whilst Anthony Einfeld with Paul Sinden, Jane Lewis and Jan Miles had a 15-10 win over Jim Buchanan, Doug Kelly, Denise Kelly and Jenny Parker.
The semi finals were a bit more one sided affairs with Darren Wilkinson and his team of Gary Giblett, Gail Ecclestone and Kerry Ward defeated Sean Mawdsley side 15-8 and Eagles team proved too strong for Anthony Einfeld’s Mt Lawley team winning 19-9.
This set up for a final between two teams who had played extremely very well to make it this far. It was the mostly local side of Eagles who had the better of the opening stages as they lead 5-0 after just 2 ends. Wilkinson and his South West side made up of players from Eaton and Bunbury were able to steady and get into the match albeit trailing 6-3 after 5 ends. Eagles team then put a few ends together to lead 10-3 and just when it looked like they may run away with it a big end by Wilkinson saw them come steaming back into contention with a score of 6 shots to hit the lead 11-10 with just 5 ends to play. However big credit to the Eagles team who steadied themselves and played well winning four of the last five ends and take the title 17-12.
Congratulations to Sorrento Bowling Club on a very well run event.
Sorrento Mixed Masters Fours Results
Attention in the Dyenamic Masters Series now turns to the Stirling Mixed Masters Pairs to be played October 1-3, the draw for this event will be published later today.