Country win thriller in All-Star Match
The annual Country All Stars versus Metropolitan match provided the perfect start for Men’s Countryweek at the Osborne Park Bowling Club on Thursday evening. In near perfect conditions a large crowd gathered to cheer on their favourite players, and nobody left disappointed.
Different country and metro rinks jumped out of the blocks keeping it an even start on the aggregate board.
Country’s Ashley Sharp, Maurice Crameri, Callum Williams and Matthew Hudson got out to a quick 6-1 lead before Metro opponents Clive Adams, Cameron Harris, Tristan Massang and Scott Walker grabbed a six to take the lead. Sharp again took control to win four ends in a row and a 11-7 lead which he would not lose again. The two teams traded multiples, as Sharp slowly stretched his lead to eight shots. A three to Adams with only three ends to play closed the gap to five shots but a four to Sharp shut the gate and he went on to win 24-17
Metro’s Cody Packer, Jack East, Blake Butler and Dave Rankin were the big starters for the metro in their game against Shane Giudice-Nairn, Michael Ford, Michael Walton and Mark Adams. Packer jumped out to a 10-1 lead after six ends and then dropped a five to tighten things 10-6. A two and a single by Packer was answered by Giudice-Nairn winning three singles in a row to be in the game at 9-13. However, the Packer rink started to work away. A three and a couple of singles stretched the lead and then a big all drawn six with the Country rink finding some holes put Packer up 24-10. A single to Giudice-Nairn was followed by Packer winning the last three ends to win 28-11
Country’s Mark Simpson, Gary Keep, Stephen Fewster and Gordon Twist had a big night in their battle with Glenn Pauling, Dale Marsland, Ryan Brown and Connor Biddle. After an even start with Simpson leading 4-3 in the early stages, the Simpson rink won seven ends in a row. Although it was mostly singles, Simpson stretched the lead to 12-3 after eleven ends. A single to Pauling was followed by another six end stretch to Simpson and a 22-4 lead. As the game wound down and the aggregate was tightening up, Pauling won a four and then a single to put the metro back in the aggregate race. The last end was bowl for bowl by the Skips, Pauling played a great running shot to remove the Country bowl to make a number with two of his side’s bowls right on the jack. Simpson had the last bowl of the contest and with a pin point accurate drive he made great connection with the shot bowls to send the jack into the ditch. When the dust settled, Simpson snatched an aggregate crucial three shots to win his rink 25-9.
Anthony Williams, Will Hyatt, Sean Mawdsley and Scott O’Brien had a slow start in their matchup against the Country’s Darren Wilkinson, Chris Schell, David Cliff and Michael Spadaccini. Wilkinson raced to a 6-1 lead after taking a four on the fourth end but the Williams team rallied to win three ends in a row and tie it up 6-6. Again Wilkinson raced away, winning four of the next five ends including two threes to lead 14-7 after twelve ends. Once again Williams responded and in quick succession grabbed a four and a three to tie it up 14-14 and then added a pair of twos to lead 18-14. The Wilkinson rink was able to win a two on the seventeenth end but the Williams rink was in full motion now and won the next four ends to power away with a 25-16 win
Reigning Countryweek Singles Champion Matthew France and his rink of Tim O’Meehan, Kerran Furniss and Bradley Hirsch were very slowly away and looked like having a long night in their contest against Bill Brandsma, David Downey, Mark Potente and Segan Pasalich being 2-10 down after seven ends. A single to France on the eight end was responded in kind by Brandsma on the nineth but then France exploded with a three, single and a three to close the gap quickly at 10-11. A Three to Brandsma to make it 10-14 rested control back but it was only to be short lived. France would win four of the next five ends to take the lead 16-15 with three ends to play. A two by Brandsma swung the lead back into the Metro teams favor but all the momentum was with France and his rink to win the last two ends and close out the game 21-17 for the country side.
Photos by Osborne Park Bowling Club
The final matchup saw Country’s Warren Holt, Geoff Main, Richard Schinzig and Johnathon Flavel up against Metro’s Daniel Trewhella, Ben Leggett, Cameron Green and Mitchell Biglin. Holt started strongly to be up 9-3 after grabbing a four on the sixth end. Trewhella edged his way back with a single and a double only for Holt to respond with two singles to still lead 11-6 after ten ends. Again, Trewhella fought back and in quick succession won a two and a three to tie it up at 11-11. A single to Holt to retake the lead fired up the Trewhella rink as they then won four ends in a row, including a four and a three to lead 12-20 with only four ends to play. However, the country rink was not going to go quietly and got their own four followed by a two to close it up 18-20. A single to Trewhella on the second last end put them up 18-21. As the Holt Trewhella started their last end, they found themselves alone on the green with all other rinks finished. Trewhella was three in front on his board and more importantly the Metro were two in front on the big aggregate board. As the end progressed Holt found himself in control with enough shots to take the aggregate. A last ditched drive from Trewhella made contact with the head but not exactly where he needed it to and ended up not being enough as Holt still held three shots. Deciding not to play his last bowl, Holt took the three as the Country celebrations began both on the green and in the crowd as Holt drew his rink 21-21 and the Country took a thrilling aggregate 118 – 117 after 126 ends.
Warren Holt, Geoff Main, Richard Schinzig, Johnathon Flavel drew Daniel Trewhella, Ben Leggett, Cameron Green, Mitchell Biglin 21-21
Ashley Sharp, Maurice Crameri, Callum Williams, Matthew Hudson beat Clive Adams, Cameron Harris, Tristan Massang, Scott Walker 24-17
Shane Giudice-Nairn, Michael Ford, Michael Walton, Mark Adams lost to Cody Packer, Jack East, Blake Butler, Dave Rankin 11-28
Mark Simpson, Gary Keep, Stephen Fewster, Gordon Twist beat Glenn Pauling, Dale Marsland, Ryan Brown, Connor Biddle 25-9
Darren Wilkinson, Chris Schell, David Cliff, Michael Spadaccini lost to Anthony Williams, Will Hyatt, Sean Mawdsley, Scott O’Brien 16-25
Matthew France, Tim O’Meehan, Kerran Furniss, Bradley Hirsch beat Bill Brandsma, David Downey, Mark Potente, Segan Pasalich 21-17
FINAL AGGREGATE: COUNTRY beat METROPOLITAN 118-117
