Dominant display by Denison in Country Week Fours
The AFGRI Men’s Countryweek Fours Final at the Sorrento Bowling was a great advertisement of one of the things our game is about. Rarely in sport will you see teams with a father and son combination fighting it out for a major title. However, the sport of bowls continues to show that generations of family members can play with and against each other on an equal footing. In this case we had not one but two father and son combinations playing off for the Men’s Countryweek Fours title.
In the first Semi-Final Denison’s Joel Leeson (son), Peter Leeson (father), Ian Payne and Paul Hitchcock started slowly but eventually ran over the top of Mark Szczecinski, Stephen Sloan, Clifton Crombie and Dave Dutton (Corrigin). Szczecinski led 12-4 after eight ends only to drop a two and then a sic to let the Denison combination back into the game at 12-12. A steadying three to Corrigin was not enough as Leeson rattled off the last six ends including a three and a four to win 23-15.
In the second Semi-Final Michael Currie (son), John Currie (father), Robert Hayter and Brendon Parsons (Narembeen) had to fight the whole game to overcome Alan Spence, Andy McFarlane, John Stone and Kelvin Crosby (Emu Point) 15-14. An early 7-3 lead to Currie was swallowed up quickly by Spence only for Currie to again break away 12-6. Once AGAIN Spence fought back and got to 13-13 with only three ends to play. Consecutive singles to Currie saw them hold a two shot lead going into the last end. With Spence holding shot and having the last bowl, an extra end looked likely as the skip bowl was halfway down and looking good but it just rolled past the oppositions second shot leaving Currie with a one shot victory and a place in the final.
The final was played in typical Sorrento conditions with a substantial breeze bowling across the green, but it didn’t stop great bowls being played. The Denison combination of Joel Leeson, Peter Leeson, Ian Payne and Paul Hitchcock started strongly by taking a four the first end followed by a two on the second end in their quest to be the first Denison side to win the Men’s Countryweek Fours. The Narembeen team of Michael Currie, John Currie, Robert Hayter and Brendon Parsons hit back with two two’s of their own, followed by a single to be 5-6 after five ends.
The next three ends were Leeson’s as the lead stretched to 11-5 before Currie once again fought back to grab a three and a single to be two behind after ten ends. The following four ends the Denison four showed greater consistency with lead Paul Hitchcock showing why he was the last player in all three disciplines by stepping up his game in the lead position. Another four, followed by consecutive two’s and then a single saw the lead blow out to 20-9 with only three ends to play.
A three to Currie breathed some life in the game but a single on the second last end to Leeson made the last end irrelevant and the two teams shook hands with Joel Leeson, Peter Leeson, Ian Payne and Paul Hitchcock running out victors and 2023 AFGRI Countryweek Fours Champions 21-12.
Watch the replay via Streamer of the Men’s Country Week Fours Final
In what was one of the most even set of Country Week finals in terms of club representatives Denison courtesy of the Fours victory and a quarter final performance of Paul Hitchcock in the Singles were able to secure the PS Bignell Perpetual Shield for the most outstanding club in 2023. Sixteen separate clubs feature in the last eight of the finals across the three events. This was first time Denison has won the Bignell Shield.
