How they will finish
1. Stirling
2. Bedford
3. Bayswater
4. Yokine
5. Safety Bay
6. Sorrento
7. Midland
8. Nth Beach
9. Warwick
10. Hollywood
December 21, 2009
Premiership ladder
The talking point at the halfway point in One Blue North is the demoralising win by Midland-Morrison over a disappointing Stirling, who go into the break in a precarious position, after many considered them a promotion prospect pre- season.
Midland have finished a promising first half of proceedings in a flurry, and Patterson Drive would be buzzing, with “Macca” Nattalotto chalking up seven wins as one of the leading skips in One Blue..
North Beach's last five games have been won or lost by four, four, seven, six, and seven, and the inconsistency exhibited by some clubs, most notably Stirling, doesn't apply to them. Ever-competitive, the Blues sit just above the relegation zone.
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But the spotlight is on the Bulls.
They showed their depth this week against strong opposition when comfortable winners despite the loss of two leading players, and are hot tips for a return to One White. Bayswater still have some work to do, and find themselves in a sardine can of relegation prospects.
Sorrento are the challengers, though, and could well be big improvers over the next couple of months. It was a sound performance to get over Safety Bay at the Bay, and worth noting that it was a feat unattainable by Bedford earlier in the year.
Which brings us to Safety Bay. The Bays started the season well, but have dropped to join the traffic jam. It will be interesting to see what the club does in the New Year, considering the options it has, with two top blue sides to evaluate.
Another two clubs with things to ponder are Yokine and Warwick. After a promising start, the Doggies are looking vulnerable, with the hard yards of fielding two top divisions becoming evident. Warwick haven't really recovered from a slow beginning, and both are a couple of wins away from the temporary safety zone, while Hollywood-Subiaco's season has been disappointing, and they appear destined for second division.
MIDLAND-MORRISON 115 (7) d STIRLING 56 (1)
Staples(sk.), Snell, Crawford, Sutcliffe..................13
Erceg(sk.), Iljich, Princi, Grover............................22
Southern(sk.), Coffey, Waller, Barron....................28
Radomiljac(sk), Martinovich, Katich, Sharp..........17
Rollnik(sk.), Marino, Willis, Erceg........................43
Poggi(sk.), Marinovich, Astone, Mirrlees................8
Natalotto(sk),Hutchinson,Mladineo,Normandale..3
Losinjanin(sk.),Radalj, Yaksich, Sarich..................9
Joe Rollnick and “Macca” Nattalotto were the destroyers on an afternoon of destruction for Stirling, in a game expected by all and sundry to be one of the main attractions of the round.
Tony Natalotto played with Kalamunda, he now is a vital cog in the Midland Morrison top 16. This is the only pic we have of Tony but we would like to recognise his great game on Saturday
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With margins of thirty five and twenty two respectively, Nattalotto, “Raf” Hutchinson, Mladineo, and Chippy Normandale, along with Rollnik, Ben Marino, Willis, and Erceg, had the points signed, sealed, and delivered before acceptances, as they guided the home side to an amazing sixty one shot win.
In both cases, the opposition were no bunnies, with Ben Poggi losing his first game as skipper last week, while the Ante Losinjanin rink has been going along well, accounting for Bedford's Paul Hunter at their previous outing.
Alan Southern, Peter Coffey, Waller, and Barron continued their form, with a solid exhibition against Ante Radomiljac's rink.Mick Erceg's boys, Iljich, Princi, and Grover, provided the only joy for a shattered Stirling, with a creditable nine shot win against the tide, over the inform Aaron Staples outfit.
Stirling have now suffered the season's two biggest wallopings, with this latest loss being second only to the seventy three shot loss at North Beach in round three, and while the selectors enjoy the trimmings over Christmas there will be plenty of food for thought as well.
It was a pleasing win for Midland, who would be rapt with their performances thus far this season.
NORTH BEACH 81 (6) d YOKINE 77 (2)
Vitale(sk.), G.Crosthwaite, Bartle, Gregson..........34
Busing(sk.), Dawson, Young, Piercey.....................9
Coles(sk.), Hill, Davies, Buegge.............................17
Fulcher(sk.), Donovan, McEwen, P.Griffiths........22
Schrauf(sk.), Jones, Schofield, P.Retallack..........11
Gallop(sk.), Lemos, Taylor, Power.........................28
Devenish(sk.), Gmeiner, Dempsey, Werndly........19
Kay(sk.),Lorencs, Hammond, B.Griffiths..............16
Yet another tense finish on Wordsworth Avenue, with the ever competitive North Beach Blues holding on to a four shot advantage to continue their run of close finishes.
When Terry Fulcher's rink picked up a three on the last end, there was one shot in the aggregate, with only two ends of the Busing-Vitale game remaining. Vitale's side put the issue beyond doubt with a one and a two, and the Blues were home.
Fulcher and John Coles had fought an engrossing battle all afternoon, with the Doggie's rink holding sway for a five shot margin.
Mike Vitale is the leading skipper in this Division,with strong support from his rink of Gavin Crosthwaite(in sparkling form once again), Chris Bartle, and Gary Gregson.
After a close win over John Mather last week, they added the scalp of Chris Busing in convincing style, with an aggregate clinching twenty five shot margin. Bartle and Gregson were giving their rink a great start on most occasions, adding to Busing's woes. This Blues rink has lost only one game this season(in Round one, to another leading skipper in Paul Hunter of Bedford) and is certainly running hot.
Yokine's John Gallop, in the unfamiliar role of skip after leading last week, ensured that he'll start 2010 in the director's chair, when he was in top form for his clash with Alan Schrauf, and, with Mel Lemos a great allie as third, they tried their utmost to cancel out the Vitale margin, winning by seventeen.
Scott Devenish won his second in a row as skip with a three shot win over Tony Kay. When they picked up a three on the nineteenth end, the game was swinging Kay's way, but the visitors hung on.
As one North Beach bowler was heard to say: “Mike saved our arse.”
SORRENTO 84(7) d SAFETY BAY 73 (1)
Crow(sk.), Anderson, O'Donohoe, Sanders.........21
Vantuyl(sk.), Petchell, Gandy, Harrison............17
Brown(sk.), Cramond, Bone, Murray..................24
Mulhall(sk.),Stanley, Branley,Tyler...................18
Hammond(sk.), Collins, Lucas, Gray.................21
Scott(sk.), Read, Smith, Taylor...........................16
Kuziela(sk.), Linford, Welch, Olive.....................18
White(sk.), Clark, Powell, Timms.......................22
Against a background of thunder, lightning, and rain at Safety Bay, Sorrento recovered from a slow beginning to gain an important win.
Safety Bay's John Vantuyl may well have been wondering if it was he the Gods were angry at, after losing to Peter Crow, despite winning thirteen of the twenty one ends. Crow, with good support from third Allan Anderson and second Jarrad O'Donohoe, scraped home by four shots.
Sorrento's skip Peter Crow
is second best performed skip in One Blue North at this stage of the season
In a hardfought encounter across all four rinks, it was the resolute Sorrento who finished the better.
Despite some significent conversions early from the Bays John Mulhall, John Brown's side, with Col Cramond returning to form as third, and Geoff Murray leading well, recovered from eight- one down to win the following seven ends and scoot to 24-15, with a five a bonus, before recording a six shot win.
Peter White, Noddy Clark, “Darky” Powell, and Simon Timms had the strong Ron Kuziela rink in dire straits early when they led twenty to six, but Kuziela's boys made a significent contribution to the Sorrento win by picking up eleven shots on the last three ends.
John Hammond's effort against Graham Scott's side was just as important, converting from five down to two up on the twentieth end with an unerring blast of the kitty into the ditch, during a final couple of ends with a full house of spectators.
It was perhaps a sign of things to come when First Division South player Max Petchell appeared in North colours for the Bays. With neither of their One Blue sides out of relegation contention, there will no doubt be an evaluation of their options for the second half of the season, and there could well be a little more migration across the “Mason-Dixon line.”
BEDFORD 88 (6 ½) d BAYSWATER 63 (1 ½)
Fullagar(sk.), Beaman, Hamilton,Colley..............27
Falconer(sk.), M.Ryan, Edwards, Davies..............10
Graybrook(sk.), Healy, Collins, Street....................15
Simonetti(sk.),Bearman, G.Johnson, D.Johnston..23
Paul Hunter(sk.), P Hunter, Winship, Mort.....25
Cox(sk.), Walmsley, Sykes, N.Ryan..........................9
Packer(sk), Johnson, Mayer, Carlsen.................21
Gray(sk.), Kelly, Swalski, Beaglehole..................21
There was a Derby-like build up to this game, with rumours of some not unsubstantial wagers during the week. The Baysie boys were confident of an upset, and when Baden Radford and Kevin Burke were notable absentees from the Bedford sixteen the Wolves hopes were buoyed.
But the reason for the Bulls being the benchmark of One Blue North soon surfaced, and, with Bruce Fullagar a natural replacement for Baden Radford, Johnson slotting into Cody Packer's team as if he'd always been there, and Royce Hamilton, no slouch either, coming in for Burke, you wouldn't have known there was anything different with the line up.
It was the rinks of Fullagar and Paul Hunter that battered Bayswater.
After fourteen ends, Graham Falconer's Wolves rink was well in contention, at nine- twelve down. With Burke replacement Hamilton's turquiose bowls looking resplendent in the afternoon's hot sun ,Fullagar, Hamilton, Ross Beaman and Vaughan Colley then opened the floodgates, taking the last six ends and scoring fifteen to nil in the process.
The Hunters, with John Winship and Don Mort, had no sympathy for John Cox, who was in doubt before the game because of a leg injury, leading fourteen to four after eleven ends, and always had a clear ascendancy, but a six on the penultimate end rubbed salt into the wounds.
The Cody Packer and Gordon Gray rinks had a battle in which fluctuating fortunes were the order of the day. After being seven-nil up early, Gray's side then lost ten ends straight to be seven-seventeen, before picking up fourteen shots to four, to draw the game, 21 all.
In form skipper Phil Simmonetti played a ballburster in his rink's eight shot win over Cliff Graybrook, who's side was never likely. Simmonetti's drawing was magnificent, while third Karl Bearman was an able assistant.
“Mr Bedford,” Cliff Graybrook, has not been producing his usual sparkle this season, and a return to his best will be an extra ace in the Bulls' bag over the second half of the season.
Inside information from Grand Prom suggests that there is a gun recruit who has one name in common with our Prime Minister waiting in the wings.
WARWICK 88 (7) d HOLLYWOOD-SUBY 71(1)
Mather(sk.), Perks, Rodger, Sparrowhawk...........26
Morey(sk.), Arrowsmith, Ford, Lindsay................21
Post(sk.),Dowson, Hinkley, Gregory......................16
Byrne(sk.), Sterpini, Appleton, Blythe..................14
Gerdtz(sk.), Hornby, Wyatt, McNamara...............28
Jones(sk.),Hall, Mazzofante, Middleton.................17
Freind(sk.) Gates, Martin, Smith.........................18
Campbell(sk.), Hamilton, D. Edgar, I Edgar........19
As expected, this was a dour struggle for most of the proceedings, with scores level at the halfway mark. The ability of the Paul Gertz rink of Alan Hornby, Wyatt, and Bernie McNamara to draw away later in the afternoon was the catalyst for the points going the Magpies way.
It was an absorbing scrap between the rink of Jeff Post, Alan Dowson, Ian Hinkley, and Jim Gregory and Tony Byrne's consistent quartet of George Sterpini, Rob Appleton, and Blythe, with a total of thirty shots over twenty one ends, Post scrambling home by two. A similar story could be told of the Brian Freind/ Rob Campbell encounter, with this one going to the Hollywood rink.
John Mather held sway for the journey in his tussle with Jeff Morey, with Morey's seven shots on the last two ends leaving them five short.
It was an important game for both sides, with the winner still having a glimmer of hope of avoiding relegation, but for the loser a lot of ground to make up. Once again the Hollywood sixteen were competitive, but unable to land the killer punch. Rob Campbell and Tony Byrne were again to the fore, while the Jones and Morey rinks were good last week, but it may just come down to a lack of real depth hampering the club, with the drop to their next highest division, fifth, a big one.
ON REFLECTION....
We sincerely hope that the bowling fraternity have a wonderful Christmas, with a safe and prosperous New Year, and that the future brings all our readers good health, and whatever they would wish for themselves.
This is also an opportune time to remember those who have left us during the year, and to spare a thought for their loved ones.
Please have a great festive season, and take care.
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RON HEAD
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