8 minute read
Bowls Blitz
The first season of Bowls Blitz came to an end on Sunday seeing the Blooms the Chemist Stars playing the Trophy Warehouse Pinnacles in the Grand Final at Cambridge Bowling Club on Sunday 8th August. To complete the season, eight teams of eight players, played 13 singles games, 18 pairs games. 9 triples games and 7 fours games across fourteen rounds and two finals rounds over four days from May to August with Mt Lawley, Willetton and Kardinya Bowling Clubs hosting the first three days of competition.
With each round only going for 90 minutes and with a mixture of disciplines played during the day, the best bowlers in Western Australia produced some of the best competition and bowls seen in this state for many years. This was showcased right to the end when several last end bowls under huge pressure swung the results in tightly fought contests.
The use of a modified points system also showed its value when final ladder positions in the top four came down to less than a handful of points. With a point for every end won, as well as ten points for a rink win, it showed the value of teams being able to grab the extra end points even when in a losing position.
The final day started with two rounds remaining and five teams still a strong chance to finish in the top four with a sixth team with an outside chance.
After round 13, the fifth placed Variety - the Children’s Charity Chargers moved within striking distance of the top 4 with a dominating win over the sixth placed BCiB Blitz. However, their run came to an end when they lost two rinks to one against the bottom placed Henselite Enforcers in the fourteenth and final round.
That left the top four teams at the beginning of the day, do enough to complete the round robin games as the final four and ready for finals. Blooms The Chemist Stars moved from second at the start of the day into top position with 510 points, 15 points clear of second and securing the advantage of picking what green they would play their Semi Final on.
Second to fourth positions were only separated by six points with the Senior Recreation Council Sharpshooters finishing second on 495 points, Trophy Warehouse Pinnacles third on 491 points and the Dyenamic Cyclones fourth and having to face the top side in the Semi Finals, on 489 points.
The two semi finals saw the match up of 1 v 4 and 2 v 3, with a combination of two singles games, a pairs game and a fours game to be played.
This would be the first time that all eight members of each team would be on the green at one time as the round robin games only required six players on the green with the other two substituting in during the game. How this would change the tactics of each team was yet to be seen. Managers would still be able to make substitutions by changing a player’s position within the team or change players between rinks during the game, but they could only do it a maximum of three times.
Before the Semi Finals began, the presentation of the Blitz Most Valuable Player was made along with the competition’s sportsmanship award.
The Sportsmanship award was selected under the values of how a player conducted themselves towards teammates, opponents, officials and management. The worthy winner of Blake Butler from the Stars was deservedly awarded the Sportsmanship medal.
It was then onto the inaugural Bowls Blitz MVP award. After each match, the managers would get together and award three, two and one votes from the 16 players involved in their fixture. After receiving votes in 8 of the 14 rounds played, the Cyclones Clive Adams took home the first Bowls Blitz MVP medal.
In the semi finals it was the Stars who survived an absolute thriller against the Cyclone’s with the match going right to the very last bowl. The singles would to be the deciding contest were Blake Butler produced the goods with a superb draw shot in his Singles match against Clive Adams when down game and match Butler rested onto the shot bowl to level the scores 17 all after the regulation 90 minutes of play and send the Stars into the final 55-48.
The other semi final saw Variety-the Children’s Charity Sharpshooters against the Trophy Warehouse Pinnacles. Again the final singles match was crucial, Sharpshooters Miles Kemp shot to an early lead in score and ends won but the Pinnacles Noelene Abe fought back late to not only square the rink points with a 14 all drawn score line but also win six of the last eight ends to also square the end count. The Abe surge cemented the Pinnacles overall win and advancement to the finals with a 59 - 48 points win.
So it was two top teams fighting it out to become the first Bowls Blitz champions. …Continued on page 9
• Inaugural Bowls Blitz champions – Blooms The Chemist stars.
From the Country Director Ross WARBURTON
Further input to come from individual leagues
Bowls Australia, with cooperation from the State bodies are looking at reducing levels of administration. Bowls WA are looking at the Zone level of administration in WA.
This would mean more input from the individual Leagues. At the moment Leagues select a club on a rotational basis to run the IZRR. The South West and Northern Zones are in favour of change with the Eastern and Southern Zones undecided.
Over the next 12 months this will be regularly reviewed to make sure it is a smooth transition in due course.
At the Ladies meeting held at Kellerberrin during the IZRR, a motion was put to present at the May Country Committee meeting, to raise the amount that Bowls WA allocates to the host club to help for the cost of lunches from $3500 to $4000. At the last Bowls WA finance meeting this increase was accepted and was also confirmed at the Bowls WA Board meeting held on the 26th July. The support from the Board is very much appreciated.
Another motion put at the meeting at Kellerberrin by the ladies and confirmed at the Country Committee meeting is to have the Ladies IZRR Pairs and IZRR Fours played at the same time each year.
The IZRR Pairs will be played on the third weekend in February and IZRR Fours played on the second weekend in March. Also at the Ladies meeting it was moved that Country verses Metro be reverted back to 48 players which is held on the Sunday before Ladies Country Week.This was also passed at the Country Committee meeting.
The cost of lunches supplied by the Metro clubs during the qualifying rounds of Country Week will be increased to $20.
A condition of play is to be added that if a player/ team refuses to pay the amount, they will forfeit by not having a card provided at the start of play. Should a player have a medical reason why not to pay the fee that must be communicated at time of entry.
The venues and dates for the next ILRR and IZRR have been decided for the coming season.
Eastern Zone
Mens ILRR Fours 8/9 January 2022 at York Ladies ILRR Pairs 20/21 November 2021 at Quairading Ladies ILRR Fours 5/6 February 2022 at Merredin
Northern Zone
Mens ILRR Fours 7/9 January 2022 at Denison Ladies ILRR Pairs 19/21 November 2021 at Wonthella Ladies ILRR Fours 25/27 February 2022 at Dalwallinu
Southern Zone
Mens ILRR Fours TBC Ladies ILRR Pairs 20/21 November 2021 at Kulin Ladies ILRR Fours TBC at Katanning
South West Zone
TBC Mens IZRR Fours 5/6 February 2022 at Busselton Ladies IZRR Fours 12/13 March 2022 at Denison Ladies IZRR Pairs 19/20 February 2022 at Emu Point
Stars shine in inaugural Bowls Blitz
Bowls Blitz – from page 8…
Both teams went into the Final with the same combination of fours, pairs and singles players. Stars Manager Therese Hasting patrolled the far end of the green urging her players on. While Pinnacles Manager Linda Warburton implored her charges from the near end of the green.
The Slavich fours team continued their journey to victory and eventually ran out 11-5 winners when time ran out over Nairn to grab the 10 rink points and win the end battle 7 – 3.
Blake Butler in the singles continued on his merry way over Noelene Abe and ran out a winner by getting to the 25-up mark before time ran out.
The second singles had tightened up considerably with Leeson working his way back into the game with a combination of drawing and big drives. A four on the thirteenth end gave him a bonus and going into the final end on the bell he had moved to the lead 15-14 over Davies. A single on the last end sealed the victory with another 10 rink points and 12 end and bonus points.
Paul Davies strong start gave him a solid number of ends to add 8 points to the Pinnacle total.
With the pairs the last rink on the green, the Stars lead the Pinnacles on the overall points 46-41, meaning a win or a draw to Krstic would make the Stars the Blitz Champions. Hyatt and East had charged back from a 8 shot deficit to get the Pinnacles back in the contest and with only a Krstic bowl remaining it looked like they could steal the title. Hyatt held shot with a measure for second shot giving them a chance but as Kristina Krstic has done to many bowlers around the country, she was about to break the Pinnacles hearts.
A well-played runner saw the Krstic bowl sit the Hyatt shot bowl and for good measure stay for shot to win her game and gain the valuable 10 points to see her Blooms the Chemist Stars team of Kristina Krstic, Blake Butler, Blake Nairn, Segan Pasalich, Joel Leeson, Ryan Brown, Matthew Whitely, Lisa Brannan and Manager Therese Hastings take the Inaugural Bowls Blitz title.
