IN THE N E W S SPONSORED BY facebook.com/ BowlsSouthAfrica ISSUE 78 YOUR SOURCE FOR BOWLING WORLDWIDE INFORMATION SHEER QUALITY AT DISTRICTS EVENTS Alan Simmonds - Media Officer refurbished greens, one floodlit - and outstanding amenies, Talk is cheap; taking part in the Inter Districts is not. Gauteng North’s men, awash with top class players, including in one skip long-me Protea Although some club players (parcularly the non- Francois Koen, improved on their silver medal compeve members) moan into their preferred earned last year in convincing fashion, pple about the cost of sending the elite to enjoy a magnificently downing a thundering week on the house, there is lile doubt this annual Johannesburg Bowls Associaon, spearheaded event is alive and well. by Protea legend Gerry Baker and his SA teammate and Masters champion Jason Evans, It is probably the most expensive-to-run event on finals - the Open event, the flagship is in reality 7-5. the South African calendar for any province. As all the ulmate enjoyable down-to-the-wire 20 Bowls South Africa districts, men and women, compeon, with selectors prowling the banks, In the women’s event, Port Natal won a hard- are represented, to send a team of eight, plus each a combinaon of vulture and eagle-eyed fought final 8-4, denying Gauteng North the managers, mes three, away costs in excess of predator, seeking a new face; a hitherto hidden double; both finalists’ sides were skipped by R400 000 - but it is eagerly awaited. talent. able Proteas; play held the knowledgeable bank on tenterhooks. And so it proved again this year when, mostly No quarter is asked or given, with nine long, blessed by favourable autumnal weather – the “B” tough preliminary round matches, each event The qualifying seconal was no less thrilling. event unfortunately copped the Cape Doctor’s split into two secons of 10, leading to secon In the men’s tournament EP and WP were day wrath - throughout the five-day championships, winners playing off for gold and silver; each one leaders; Sables and EP headed the women’s all went to plan. The standard of play was of the seconal runner-up receiving an automac tables; by day three Gauteng North and the 2018 highest order, as one might expect from 480 of the bronze medal. South African bowling world’s top players. men champions Ekurhuleni had control; WP and Ask hard-working and dedicated Bowls SA EP headed the women’s secons; holders Although all three, blessed in these tough president Rob Forbes about the tussles. Boland were snapping at heels. financial mes by a dedicated sponsor for the “It was sheer quality. The enre week produced Aer eight rounds the male Pretorians in true bowls of great skill with both well-known and Praetorian style held sway, the holders hanging new faces strung their stuff. Gauteng North on in their secon; WP held a slender lead over seemed to be showing up everywhere – a bravura Port Natal women; EP and Gauteng North were all-round performance. I am grateful to GC also clear. Swanepoel and Perfect Delivery for their ongoing support.” For the Open, iconic The Wanderers, Johannesburg, provided a magical HQ scenario for the finals of the Perfect Delivery South African Inter Districts Championships. Johannesburg’s main venue, offers four Round nine proved surprising. saw off JBA 8-4 in the men’s final; Gauteng North again in the medals, collecng bronze with WP – JBA men completed a great run of six straight log leaders unl the last round robin match. seconal victories to grab a last gasp pole in red secon and Border thrashed Ekurhuleni 11-1 to The Veterans’ men tle (formerly known as relegate the holders to third and themselves to Seniors) hosted by Sables and played at take bronze; Gauteng North ran away with blue Witpoortjie and Discovery, belonged to the secon with EP taking bronze – as they did in 2018. irrepressible Gauteng North, who won 11-1 against Sables – WP and Port Natal took bronzes; In the women’s last round, log leaders WP went in the women’s division Ekurhuleni edged a down 10-2 to Sables and had to sele for a bronze; gallant Southern Free State 7-5; bronze medals Port Natal cruised in 10-2 against Southern Free went to Kingfisher from the Natal south coast State to top the secon. Similarly, the leaders, EP, Port Natal, skipped by Proteas Louise Larkin and and Boland. went down 8-4 to KZN; Gauteng North seized their Bronwyn Webber were always in control against chance and a 11-1 whipping of Ekurhuleni saw Organisaon was again at its best with Tom Gauteng North, but the indefagable former them top their secon; EP held on for bronze. McLean (convenor), Sandra Viljoen, Pat Wood, world champion Loraine Victor and her fellow Ron Geal and Brian Oxley, providing the skip, Protea Esmé Kruger, fought to the end, backbone for the event. before eventually going down 8-4. It will be business as usual next year; rest The B Division event, played in Cape Town, assured. provided a major upset when JBA women’s octet, Said Forbes: “I was parcularly pleased with the camaraderie. Moreover, administraon was tops and all-in-all it was a highly sasfactory set of tournaments. The women’s final was so close; Bronwyn's (Webber) haul of a four late on against former world champion Loraine Victor proved telling aer Esme Kruger’s quartet had won.” having won their secon two matches clear, lost Alongside The Wanderers, Ferndale, Roosevelt the plot a lile 8-4 in their final against a resolute Park and Linden were also venues, each Gauteng North side; Port Natal and North West orchestrated under the baton of tournament (the laer pleasingly containing several commiee convenor Lance Sayce (Ann Davies, promising players from formerly disadvantaged Dave Naughton, Denise Russell, Anselm McLean). communies) took a bronze medal apiece. But The host clubs were presented in perfect JBA had several youngsters playing, and a total of condion and with their prisne greens play was 5 new caps – an eye to the future may well be understandably of the highest order. rewarded; finals nerves might have crept in. WPCC and its four fine greens was HQ; ever-able tournament convenor Chris Nurrish and “the usual suspects” Lynee Botha, Bob Stanton, Terry Hepworth and Colin Nedhoffer, laid on a superb week. Eden, a young district on the move, Gauteng North men, with Protea Francois Koen and Mike O'Connor skipping, played with drive to defeat a strong JBA octet containing no fewer than seven Proteas. The final score of 7-5 indicated how close was the event enjoyed by a large bank. TOP GUY: Neil Burke at the WP Bowls capping ceremony. Burke will represent Personal Trust as the company's brand TRUST DAY: Helderberg pensioners held a Personal Trust sponsored day in Feb. Winners, ambassador at various bowls events in from le, John Argyle, Rob McIver, David Aherne, Graeme Kemp, Mark Gibbs & Tony O'Riley the Western and Eastern Cape PIKETH, RITTMULLER SUPERB AT WORLD CUP South African Proteas Colleen Webb Piketh (Eden) and Wayne Rimuller (Port Natal) excelled at the World Cup singles in Australia. In spite of limited opportunity to pracce indoors, they produced scinllang bowls. Piketh lost narrowly in a play- off on a e-break; Rittmuller was always in contenon and ended a nail-bing fourth in a hot secon to narrowly miss a play-off berth. Great stuff. Said Rittmuller on Facebook: “…So me to say goodbye to Sydney and Warilla, it’s been an awesome tournament, played some great bowls, just missing out on qualifying for the play-offs. But met some really awesome new friends and also some old friends. indoor stadium carpet at the Warilla Bowls & Recreaon Club with an unprecedented sixth “Just want to say thanks to Bowls SA for giving me Cup, joining Scosh legend Alex Marshall, who the opportunity to play in the World Cup, and has six WBT world indoor singles tles and thanks to everyone at Warilla Bowls and Warilla’s adopted Irish son Jeremy Henry, who Recreaon Club, what great venue. also has six. “Thanks to Colleen for all the help and support, Likewise, Ireland’s Gary Kelly, who dominated and for also live streaming my games (just need to this year’s men’s compeon on debut, joined work on my commentary skills now). Thanks to the list of his countrymen who have won eight of everyone back home and from around the world the last nine World Cups at Warilla - James Talbot for all the support and messages. Really does help in 2011, Henry ‘s six in 2012, ‘13, ‘14, ‘16, ‘17, ‘18 us to just play that lile bit beer. and now Kelly with his 11-4 9-3 score-line over Malta's valiant Brendan Aquilina; Scotland’s Iain “Then to my amazing girlfriend, Stella McLean who prevailed in 2015. Aroomoogam, without your love and support I definitely wouldn’t be where i am today with my Kelly, playing out of Warilla home, beat club- bowls. mate Brendan Aquilina, who represented Malta The rangy Kiwi defeated Guernsey pocket rocket with disncon; Both were undefeated in the Now looking forward to my first appearance at the Lucy Beere, the defending champion 8-5 10-5 for prelims. Atlanc Championships in May” the gold. In a repeat of the 2017 final - in which she beat Beere 8-5 2-9 4-1. Edwards, the reigning Commonwealth Games New Zealand's magnificent Jo Edwards, the singles gold medallist, won her 13th 'major', two sport’s No 1 lady was inducted into an exclusive A field of 44 from 24 countries competed over clear of Northern Ireland's legendary Margaret club aer winning the women’s event on the nine days.