The Bedfordview Country Club Bowls congratulated their ‘awesome foursome’ players for winning bronze in the Bowls South Africa (BSA) Open Men’s Nationals.

The four bowlers, Alan Gordon, Gianni Gatti, Gavin Erasmus and Brian Dial, participated in the nationals from May 18 to 24 at the Bowls Gauteng North in Pretoria.

Speaking on behalf of the team, Gordon acknowledged that the BSA Men’s is quite a prestigious tournament. He recalled that they won it in 2024 while playing on their very own home greens.

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In 2025, they didn’t play because it was in Port Elizabeth.

“Then this year we played in Pretoria, and we received a bronze medal. Unfortunately, we lost the semi-finals by one point.”

With 156 teams in the tournament, finishing third was an achievement for the team.

Bedfordview Country Club(BCC) Bowls president Fiona Duke admitted that the medal was a proud achievement for the club. They recognised the hard work and talent of their players on the national stage.

She added, “It highlights the strength of our club and places Bedfordview among the top bowling communities in South Africa. For the Bedfordview community, it helps raise the profile of lawn bowls, inspires new players and showcases the sport as a competitive and rewarding activity for all ages.”

Meanwhile, Gordon commended the team for being a solid combination who get on well together and know each other’s bowling strengths and weaknesses.

“The BCC Bowls is strong. We have been playing for a long time, and we’re very experienced at playing at the highest level. But this was a particularly strong tournament. The format has changed somewhat,” revealed Gordon.

Up until two years ago, he explained, one had to represent one’s club. However, it’s now an open tournament; anyone who wants to play with anybody from another registered club can.

“So the four guys that beat us in the semi-finals were all from different clubs,” shared Gordon.

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He explained that this is based on the Australian Open Format and is being replicated in SA.

Gordon noted that it makes the bowls stronger, with the club’s numbers increasing.

Apart from the opposition, a challenge for the four was playing on different bowling greens.

Gordon explained that the competition began with a round-robin format, where teams were divided into groups of six and each team played five matches at a single venue.

He said the teams then progressed to a second venue for the play-off stages, which were held at the headquarters.

“So that’s a big challenge for any bowler to adapt to the surface because every green and rink’s layout is different. “With each game, you get two trials, which gives you an idea of the speed and line that you need to adapt to. So the guys are very experienced, and we did adapt really quickly,” Gordon explained.

One of the reasons for the four bowlers’ success is that each position is specialised. Gordon clarified, “So the leader starts and has to set it up.

“The player in the second position must either build on the lead player’s work or improve the situation if the opening shots were not successful. The third player and the skip, who is the last player, are responsible for delivering the more demanding shots that often determine the outcome of an end.

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“The key is maintaining continuity and experience within the team, and it has worked well for us to keep the same players in the same positions whenever we compete.”

Like most sports, to aspire to the highest level, you’ve got to put time into the game, Gordon advised.
He said for aspiring bowlers, the key is to get involved in the games and to always learn.

Gordon extended gratitude to every member of the club for their support.
Duke said the team will continue striving for success in upcoming provincial and national competitions.