The final of the CRDBA State Open Fours Championships was played at GDSC on Saturday with the four Yamba finalists from the previous day’s pairs final: Brett Pingel, Ron Smidt, Steve Jackson and Jim Johnson combining well in the fours to take their morning semi-final against an Iluka combination of Brian Wakefield, Doug Burnes, Ian Turnbull and Jack Law in stylish fashion 21 – 11. However, the GDSC team of Gary Harrison, Rob Power, Gregg Maxted and Allan Knox took full benefit of their home ground advantage to dominate the final in impressive fashion taking the title by 23 – 8.
The 2020 CRDBA Presidents Reserve Fours Championships commenced at Wooli on Saturday with the quarter-finals contested in the morning and the semi-finals in the afternoon. The home team of Stan Polack, Frank Gilmore, Mick Hammond and Ron Forder pushed the defending champions from GDSC, Barry Elder, Paul Sutton, Leith Basset and Ray Toovey all the way before going down by 16 – 13 in a great game of team lawn bowls. Ros Murphy skipped his Maclean combination of Kim Fraser, John Connell and Garry Montgomery to an impressive win over the talented Brooms Head side of Steve Matheson, Reg Austin, Blair Littlechild and Steve Colley by 27 – 21.
The second GDSC team of Matt Shorten, Jason Ryan, Jay Buckley and Greg Taylor played their way into the semi-finals with a hard pressed 20 – 18 score line over the Yamba combination of Jake McHutchison, Peter Julian, Bill Williams and Erik Pedder.
The Red Rock side of skipped by Paul Bowen came ever so close to a win against the Yamba side of Brian Pennell, Mick Stamp, Don Freeman and Bruce Angel with the game potentially coming down to the final delivery which was not the finest of the day. The Yamba side took victory by 20 – 17.
In the semi-finals Ross Murphy and the Maclean side defeated Ray Toovey’ GDSC side by 19 – 15. Ross and his team will play the Yamba side with Bruce Angel at the helm following Yamba’s 23 – 19 win over the ‘Squizzy’ Taylor’s GDSC side. The date for the final is yet to be determined and will be advised once confirmed.
The 2020 CRDBA Singles Championships commenced on Sunday with the preliminary round and quarter-finals of the Senior and State Open divisions contested at Yamba and the Presidents Reserve division spread across GDSC, Maclean and Yamba on Sunday.
A full report of the President Reserve Championship will be provided once results are confirmed. However, in the State Open and Seniors divisions the combatants for the semi-finals to be played at Yamba on Sunday have been determined. In the Open, Nathan Jolliffe of GDSC will be up against Jim Johnson of Yamba in what should be a great contest. Jayson Pinnock of Maclean will be confronted by Peter Forrester of Yamba in the second semi-final which also promises to be a game for the ages.
In the Senior division semi-finals, Garry Harrison of GDSC will do battle with Graham Meany of Yamba and Des Johnson from Maclean will tussle with Ian Parker of Yamba in two eagerly awaited semi-final match-ups. The semi-finals will commence at 8.45am followed by the final at 12.45pm.
The 2020 CRDWBA State Mixed Pairs Championship will commence on Saturday February 22 at Yamba with the three round sectional games to be played followed by the quarter-final play-off; 37 teams have entered this year’s event in what is an increasingly popular sets-based competition. The championship will conclude with the semi-finals and final to be played at Yamba on Saturday March 7.
Don Freeman