Eric, Clive and Mike win section in men’s PNB trips

DURBAN Wanderers Bowling Club had something like seven men’s teams entered in the district trips, which got underway on Sunday.

Only one team qualified by winning their section – Eric Smit, Clive Symons and Mike Freeman being the team deserving of praise.

Two others came desperately close, losing on count outs, and one is not yet sure of their destiny. The count out losers were the teams of Lofty Cawthorne, Ron Jackson and Eric Redman playing at Wentworth, and also Robin Groblers’s team of himself, Eric Kitchenbrand and Mike Flack playing at home. Those players who went to Hillary were left sitting with a bye in their section, after one of the teams did not pitch, thus they played only two games instead of three like everyone else. They were Keith Wild, Chris Klopper and Eric Miller, who did not hang around to find out if anyone in their section won both matches.

Steve Van Rooyen’s team as well as Arnie Harper and Richard Hendicott and their teams all lost only one game, but each had a clear unbeaten team in their sections. The knockout stages occur later in the month, on Saturday, 22 February. There were no women’s bowls results given.

Only one club competition took place during the week. In the men’s drawn trips, Steve Van Rooyen, Peter Tayfield and Johan won 20-12 against Robbie Carr, Colin Howes and Mitch Mitchley, advancing them into the finals where they await a match between Dennis Gericke, and Robin Grobler. This was supposed to have also been played during the week, but Dennis Gericke was ferreted off to hospital on the morning of the match with associated bladder problems. He stayed for five days, undergoing assorted tests and scans, and the club wishes him every success in recovery.

Upcoming events: On Sunday, 9 February it is the playing of the breakfast trips. Contact Jeff Bolt or Mike Flack on 082-808-7793 and 083-227-1900 respectively to enter a team. Remember that after the match, the new Wanderers caterers will be making a variety of pies for your eating delight while musician and entertainer Robbie Dalton will entertain with his unique sounds. Members are asked to support them.

Members are reminded that club subs are now due and may be paid in the upstairs office.

Last week, Peter Tayfield could have been R1,600 richer had he been at the club on Friday night to collect the snowball, but it will now be R1,700 next Friday when, after the draw, the popular live band ‘Salty Dog, Smelly and Friendz’ will be playing from 7.15pm. It has been decided to procure live bands for the next three Fridays after that as well, in place of the usual discos, so pitch up early to secure a good seat in support of this endeavour. The various meat winners were leg of lamb, Leon Hauptfleisch; chicken pack, Allan Swan; rump steak, Des Demmer; pork ribs, Dianne Swan; chicken, Kim Hawkins.

Snippet: A repeat this week of a snippet that evoked a few chuckles – all bowlers know that a ‘pineapple’ refers to a bowl that has not been put down cleanly, and wobbles furiously as it makes its way down the green. But what is a ‘strawberry’?

One skip was heard calling ‘strawberry’ a number of times while his third was still on the mat. It turned out that his third’s name was Berry (or Barry?) and the skip was actually saying “just draw, Berry”.