Cobram claims points

Cobram’s Steve Tatnall skipped against Philpot in a hard-fought tussle. Tatnall, with David Quinane leading, Alan McDonald as second and Gary Carter as his third, found themselves in arrears by four shots on the 16th end with the score 10-14.

Tatnall’s crew then applied the pressure to ply on 10 shots over the next four ends and take the rink points 20-15, with Toc scoring a single on the end.

Cobram’s Ray Parks was against an old foe in Toc Golf’s Rod Brown. In another close encounter, Brown scored a four on the penultimate end and then a single on the end to clinch the rink win for Tocumwal. Cobram 17, Tocumwal Golf 18.

Cobram’s Haydn Smith took on the role of skip, opposing Tocumwal’s Graeme Searle.

Cobram was behind early in a game where both sides had their chances.

Smith, with the assistance of Geoff Westmore (lead), Ron Dougherty (second) and John Dixon (third), managed to get back into the game and even take the ascendency on end 16 with the score 22-18.

Cobram dropped numbers to once again find itself chasing, and chase it did.

Holding strong, Cobram levelled the score on the end to share the rink points 26 apiece.

The overall win went to the Cobram Tigers 63 to Tocumwal Golf 59.

In a strange twist of the fixture, Cobram may well do battle with Chris Philpot next weekend.

Division two was also at home in the round, where the second half of the season began.

Cobram’s Peter Garland had a fairly handy side on paper when he took on Strathmerton’s Kevin Dunn.

However, they played on grass and won only five of the 21 ends.

Cobram was outclassed on this occasion.

Cobram 11, Strathmerton 31.

Cobram’s Marj McDonald challenged Strathy’s Wayne McGregor, and the Cobram combo was doing well. Dropping five shots on end 17 hurt Cobram badly, with Strathy managing to get over the line. Cobram 19, Strathmerton 20.

It was a slow and steady contest between Cobram’s Greg Dunn and Strathy’s Mick Ryan, scoring 6-8 in favour of the visitors after 11 ended.

Dunn, with Joy Mynard (lead), Ross Smith (second) and Keith “Cliffy” Faulkner (third), dominated the second half and posted a 21-13 rink win.

Overall, the 20-shot deficit on one rink was too much, with Cobram’s 51 and Strathmerton’s 64 final scores.

Cobram division three was also at home and welcomed Nathalia’s number one team.

Cobram’s Carol Doherty’s rink was outbowled by Nathalia’s Bev Hutchins, going down 16-29. The Tiger’s Phill O’Dwyer even encountered Nathalia’s Peter Hutchins.

Dropping a five and a three on ends seven and eight would be costly for the Tigers, who went down 16-19.

Cobram’s Geoff Williams (skip), Trevor Wood (third), Sue Carter (second) and Annette Temple (lead) did their best to bring home the bacon.

Winning 14 of the 21 ends was an outstanding rink win for Williams and his team, with the score 24-9.

Unfortunately for Cobram, it wasn’t enough to carry the other two rinks over the line.

Cobram 56, Nathalia 57.

Cobram division four travelled to Numurkah Golf, where Brenda Smethurst (skip), Carol Mathers (third), Dale Giblin (second) and Bryan Freeman (lead) from Cobram took on a rink skipped by Terry Morris.

In an even contest ends-wise, the chocolates went to Cobram.

Scoring a couple of fours, a six and a three along the journey caused the damage to the home side.

Cobram 24, Numurkah Golf 14.

Tiger’s Andrew Rushby (skip), Don Collie (third), Jeanette Liersch (second) and Colin Rankin (lead) were on top of Ian Hocking’s Golf side, leading 18-9 after 13 ends.

Momentum stopped for the visitors, and the home side blitzed.

Cobram claimed its only end since end 13 with a single on the 20th end and still led by two shots, 19-17.

Hocking’s team then came up with two shots in the end to record a draw.

Cobram 19, Numurkah Golf 19. Overall, it was Cobram by 10 shots, Cobram 43, Numurkah Golf 33.

In Division five, Cobram went to Nathalia to battle with Nathalia’s number two side.

Cobram’s Barb Turner and her crew did their best against Gary Manley and his team.

In an even contest, the visitors went down by a very “coverable” two shots. Cobram 16, Nathalia 18.

The Cobram quartet of Alan Temple (skip), Brian Bacon (third), Donna Bacon (second) and Tracey Emery (lead) were up against Nathalia’s Ian Bolton.

In the dominant performance by the Tigers, there was a single blemish when they dropped six shots at the end.

The damage was done, however, and Cobram won the rink 25-18. The final game total went to Cobram 41 to Nathalia 36.

With the second half of the season just beginning, Cobram Bowling Club finds itself in a very healthy position, with all teams, including the mid-week pennant, in the top four, except the Saturday division one team, which is fifth and set to pounce.