Cobram Bowls Club report

Cobram division one made the journey to Strathmerton worthwhile.

The Cobram rink skipped by Ray Parks were well behind their Strathmerton counterparts in Wayne McGregor’s team after seven ends.

With the score 1-12, Parks and his crew did well to level the score at 14-all after 17 ends.

However, Parks couldn’t quite maintain the momentum to the finish. Parks 18 to McGregor 20.

The Cobram rink of David Quinane (lead), Alan McDonald (second), John Dixon (third) and Steve Tatnall (skip) were too strong for Strathy’s Mick Ryan.

With the scores level at seven-all after nine ends, Tatnall then powered away, scoring freely, to achieve a convincing rink win. Tatnall 28 to Ryan 11.

The Cobram rink skipped by Greg Dunn found the going tough early in their meeting with Strathmerton’s Gary Koopman. Dunn, with John Anders (lead), Garry Carter (second) and Geoff Westmore (third), clawed their way back to level the score at nine apiece after 13 ends.

Koopman fought hard, but it was Dunn who took the points with a resounding four shots on the final end. Dunn 17 to Koopman 16. Overall, it was Cobram 63 shots, 14 points to Strathmerton 47 shots, two points.

Winning the game outright also meant that Cobram claimed the Frank Dunkley Trophy.

In division two, Cobram was at home against a tough Numurkah Golf outfit.

The Cobram rink skipped by Colin McDonald took on Golf’s Frank Houlihan.

McDonald’s team didn’t have it all their own way early. Being 3-14 after eight ends, McDonald’s team rose to the occasion to tie the score at 19-all after 21 ends.

Rebecca Dungan (lead), Mick Stephens (second), Andrew Giblin (third) and Haydn Smith (skip) of Cobram knew it was going to be a tough day against the Numurkah Golf team skipped by Jan Niven.

Eventually, Smith’s side had stronger momentum to the finish line. Smith 23 to Niven 17.

Numurkah Golf’s Neil Hutchins skipped a side that was flaccid early. The Cobram rink of Keith Faulkner (lead), Paul McKay (second), Peter Garland (third) and Ron Dougherty (skip) held the dominant position for most of the journey and remained so after 21 ends.

Dougherty 20 to Hutchins 14. Overall, it was Cobram 62 shots, 15 points to Numurkah Golf 50 shots, one point.

Tocumwal was the venue for Cobram division three. Cobram’s Marj McDonald and her side were in form early and held a 10-shot advantage after 11 ends (14-4) against Toc’s Ron Dixon.

Dixon’s side made the most of the home green advantage in the second half to level the scores on the 21st end. McDonald 17 to Dixon 17.

Cobram’s Phill O’Dwyer and his team also found the going difficult in their hit-out against Tocumwal’s Arch Patterson. Overall, it was O’Dwyer 15 to Patterson 21.

The Cobram rink of Koby Madgwick (lead), “Rube” Madgwick (second), Doug Pocknee (third) and Darryl O’Connor (skip) were too strong all day for Tocumwal’s Ian Taylor and team. Winning 24 to 13, O’Connor’s team did enough to gather the overall points. Cobram 56 shots 13 points to Tocumwal 51 shots, three points.

Cobram played host to Picola in its division four encounter. With Picola sitting outside the four and Cobram previously undefeated it, was going to be a hard ask for the visitors.

Picola’s Bill Payne found it just that when he met Cobram’s Alan Temple. In a closely fought match, the scores were 14-13 after 17 ends. Temple, aided by Brian Bacon (lead), Tracey Emery (second) and Linda Gallyot (third), scored four shots then six shots on ends 18 and 19 respectively.

Ten shots in two ends broke the back of Payne and his side. The final score saw Temple 24 to Payne 15.

The Cobram side of Steve Paganoni (lead), Barry Walker (second), Adrian Lindsay (third) and Brenda Smethurst (skip) went about their business efficiently and only allowed Picola’s Wally Gorczynski to score on seven of the 21 ends.

The Smethurst victory was sealed with an emphatic five shots on the final end. Smethurst 29 to Gorczynski 17. Overall, Cobram 53 shots, 14 points to Picola 32 shots, nil points.

In division five it was Cobram five (Yellow) versus Cobram six (Black). Yellow’s Julie Cain opposed Black’s Ian Bray. After 10 ends their scores were locked at eight-all.

Julie Cain with good bowls from Mal Phillips and Andrew Dunlop playing second and third respectively pushed away in the second half.

Bray’s team scored six shots on end 17, but again Julie Cain matched that over the following three ends. Julie Cain 27 to Bray 19.

Cobram Yellow’s Ty Madgwick (lead), Donna Bacon (second), Colin Rankin (third) and David Stock (skip) were too consistent throughout the game against Black’s Alan Cain and his team.

Stock claimed the rink points 27 to Alan Cain 15. Overall, it was Cobram five (Yellow) 54 shots, 14 points to Cobram six (Black) 34 shots, nil points.

With four more rounds before finals, there are still a lot of bowls to be played. Cobram is the master of its own destiny, however, with teams in the top four in each of the five divisions.