Narrabri through to pennants playoff, Wee Waa ends season on a huge high

Narrabri Bowling Club has kept its state open gender pennant tournament hopes alive after topping its section ladder following a thrilling final day’s play.

The sixth and final sectional round in the North West Bowls grade six competition saw second-placed Narrabri welcome top-ranked Bingara to town, and it was the hosts that got the job done in the top-of-the-table clash with a 62 shots to 50 overall victory to secure top spot.

Narrabri won two of the three rinks in that fixture to earn nine points for the competition ladder, which was enough to earn outright first place by one point after third-placed Manilla earned a dominant 74 shots to 47 triumph away to Club Gunnedah.

Manilla claimed all three rinks in their match to pick up 10 points, but they ended up second with 34 after Narrabri’s nine locked them into first with 35. Bingara placed third with 30.5, and Gunnedah came in last with 20.5.

Narrabri will now play a round robin series against section two winners North Tamworth and section three winners South Tamworth across the weekend of May 16 and 17 to determine which team represents North West in grade six at the state pennant playoffs.

Cindy Neil, Tony Redman, Scott Dewar and Dave Dewar were the big winners for Narrabri on Saturday as they outscored Bingara’s Graham Galvin, Alister Lemin, David Withers and Kerry O’Bryan 28 shots to 12.

Eva Sadler, Colin Armstrong, Larry Scott and Lisa Pillar were also victorious for the home side as they downed Gary O’Neile, Donald Mack, Bev Roberg and Graham McManus 20-14 on their rink, while the hosts dropped the third rink as the Bingara team of Peter Conroy, Peter Walton, Colin Roberg and Stuart Dixon accounted for Stuart Coleman, Steve Daskey, Keith Stoltenberg and Len Ryan 24 shots to 10.

Despite losing by 10 shots on that third rink, Narrabri Bowling Club still managed to earn a comfortable victory to advance to next month’s grade six playoff.

Meanwhile, Wee Waa Bowling Club ended their open gender pennant campaign on a huge high after claiming all 10 points in their final round contest.

Wee Waa were unable to finish on top of the grade four ladder but were still determined to finish the campaign in winning ways, and they achieved that as they won all three rinks during a 70 shots to 49 home green demolition of South Tamworth Gold.

That victory saw Wee Waa finish second on their ladder with 36.5 points following four wins and two losses, with Club Gunnedah taking out top spot with 48 points after their 75 shots to 45 home win against South Tamworth Green in round six was their fifth of the tournament.

South Tamworth Gold ended up third with 32.5 points and South Tamworth Green were last with three points.

Chris Crutcher, Cody Booby, Peter Doring and Steve Berger were the big winners in Wee Waa on Saturday as they took down South Tamworth Gold’s Sue Musgrave, Peter Mead, Grant Hall and Philip O’Reilly 28 shots to 15.

The other two rinks were separated by four shots each as Kay Dewson, Brock Allen, Bruce Cowan and Ty Baker outscored Cathy Verdich, Cheryl Douglas, Terry Preston and Andrew Nichols 19 shots to 15 while Clancy Hamilton, Jay Hall, Kevin Baker and Toby Reynolds beat Linda O’Reilly, Desmond Cross, Gregory Harris and Christine Myers 23 shots to 19.

Club Gunnedah are the fourth team to have won a North West open gender pennant flag this season after Inverell RSM took out grade one, Armidale City claimed grade two and Lightning Ridge triumphed in grade three.

Grades five to seven will be determined by playoffs in May, with West Tamworth, Walgett and Guyra to contest grade five and Armidale City, Quirindi, South Tamworth Red and Inverell RSM to contest grade seven.