Morningside bowlers play to impress as Johannesburg Bowls Association league heats up
Morningside Country Club showcased its bowling strength during the second round of the Johannesburg Bowls Association league, with both men’s and women’s teams delivering strong performances.
The greens at Morningside Country Club were alive with competition and camaraderie on November 8, as the club hosted its second round of league fixtures in the Johannesburg Bowls Association (JBA) district.
JBA immediate past president Rob Zimmermann, highlighted the breadth of participation in the district, saying that ‘every one of those clubs has teams entered in the league at different levels,’ stretching from Randburg to Bedfordview.
Read more: Johannesburg Bowls Association’s senior ladies bowls season ends on a high
Morningside fielded two sides in the Ladies Premier Division, which went head-to-head in an exciting intra-club fixture. “The first team prevailed over the second team,” Zimmermann said. “Meanwhile, the men’s side enjoyed a home victory over Bryanston Sports Club.”
Beyond the top divisions, Morningside also participated in various formats, including fours, trips, and mixed trips, which make up the core of the Johannesburg league structure.
The JBA League, now in its second week, runs for 11 weeks until early December, taking a break for the festive season before resuming in January and concluding around the end of February.
Zimmermann praised the level of play at Morningside. “We’re very privileged to have either current or ex-Springboks and many provincial players. Watching them play top-class bowls inspires the juniors coming through.”
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Among the rising stars is Emma Murphy, a current junior Springbok and one of South Africa’s top U35 players. Senior figures like Gerry Baker and Jackie van Rensburg, both seasoned international competitors, continue to mentor and motivate younger bowlers.
Baker, a veteran international player, expressed satisfaction with the men’s side’s performance.
“We just finished our league game against Bryanston Sports and happened to have a good win. Morningside is probably the strongest club, definitely in Johannesburg, if not South Africa, packed with Protea and provincial players. There’s a high expectation to win the league. We had a mishap last week, but we’ve bounced back today.”
Van Rensburg, from the women’s Premier Division side, echoed the positive sentiment. “We’ve just finished our second league game of the season and managed to secure eight points. We beat last year’s winners in our first match, so things are looking good, but there are still many games to go. Nothing is ever secured until it’s done.”
Van Rensburg also noted the strength and depth within the Morningside squads.
“Morningside is filled with strong players, men and ladies. It was good to see great bowls being played today.”
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