MURRAY DOWNS
Social bowls was well attended last Thursday with 18 players taking part.
The winning team consisted of Peter Furnell, Connie Rovere and Di Angus, well done to you all.
The jackpot was not won so it keeps mounting.
The next social bowls day will be January 2, 2025, with names to be in by 9am for a 9.30am start.
Members rostered for this day are Noelene and Darryl.
There will be a twilight tournament on January 11.
It will begin with a sausage sizzle at 5.30pm followed by three games of eight ends beginning at 6.30pm.
It is a three bowls triples, any combination tournament. There will be supper after the last game. $30 per team. Teams or single entries to Dawne on 0402 020996 or Carl on 0429 855260 by 5pm on Friday, January 10.
Come along and get some practice in before pennant resumes.
Night social bowls begins on February 11 and runs for 10 weeks until April 8 with a barbecue and prizes on the final night.
Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year to everyone and look forward to seeing all members in January.
RACECOURSE
Congratulations to Alannah Taylor, Kylie Gardner, Mick Holyoak and Norm Smith on being selected represent the Murray Mallee Regional teams to play in Ballarat on January 10,11 & 12.
Well done to Graeme Bennett and Norm Smith on winning the state 60 & over pairs 15/7.
They defeated Rod Wardle and Russell Fields. Norm Smith continued his good form winning the state 60 & over singles 21/17 from Peter Loughran.
This Friday will see the finals of our ladies and men’s club singles, with Alannah Taylor playing Lyndal Taylor at 10 am, Mick Holyoak playing Norm Smith at 5pm.
Please come and support the players.
Wednesday’s bowls was won by Fred Burge and Peter Holland, with one win and a draw and + 4 shots. Runners up, with one win and + 3 shots, were Bryan Bice, Rob Rust and Phil Parry.
Jackpot bowls will have a break over Christmas and will re commence again at 9.30am on Wednesday, January 8.
The synthetic green will be available over the Christmas break, for practice or to play some of the remaining club events.
The committee of the Racecourse Bowls Club would like to wish all our club members and their families all the best for Christmas and have a great New Year.
SWAN HILL
Last Saturday after bowls, bowlers and their families and friends enjoyed a meal together to celebrate Christmas and the holiday break.
Much to the delight of the children present, all enjoyed a visit from Father Christmas dressed in his summer outfit for the hotter Swan Hill climate.
Santa was well prepared, distributing gifts to all present.
Thanks to all who helped to make the night a successful ending to the 2024 bowls season.
Last Saturday’s pennant saw tough competition from Nyah in Division One, with Nyah claiming victory by 10 shots.
B. Quaife’s rink finished 7 shots up, while the other two rinks were outdone by a total of 17 points.
Division Two played Racecourse 4 at Racecourse in the new draw.
Swan Hill 2 won by 5 shots overall, 2 rinks up, 1 rink down.
Saturday pennant resumes on January 18.
Midweek pennant players were elated on Tuesday to have wins in Division One and Two before breaking until Tuesday, January 14.
Division One defeated Murray Downs 2 by 12 shots. B. Quaife’s rink led from the front, defeating D. Griffin by 16 points.
J. Husson’s and P. Furnell’s rinks played a very close game, with Furnell finishing four up.
Division Two hosted Nyah 2 in a very close game.
A. Hill’s team drew with T. Watson’s players, while J. Thompson’s rink defeated G. Davis’s team by eight shots.
This Friday looks like being rather warm again, so if you don’t wish to be out in the heat for Friday Frolic, come along and enjoy a Happy Hour Christmas drink, nibbles and take part in Mick’s raffles.
The club house will be nice and cool for socialising.
Friday Frolic will continue during the holiday break, all are most welcome to come along and keep up your bowling skills. Names to be in by 2.30pm for a 3pm start.
Congratulations to Brian Quaife on winning the 2024/25 club championship. Brian defeated Anthony Shields in a closely contested game.
LAKE BOGA
Congratulations to Robyn Jolly, who is our new ladies single club champion, Robyn finally came home with the championship after being runner-up the previous two years.
Robyn played Jean Leech in the final Wednesday morning which was a close match, the score being 25 to 20 after 28 ends.
While this match was being played two other matches were played in the men’s competition in the lead up to the grand final.
Alex Jobling had a very good match against Danny Kelly but failed to win after leading for a large part of the game. The score being 25 to 22 after 29 ends with Danny being the winner.
On the other green Ray Leech fought hard against Noel Hender with Noel winning after 27 ends by four shots.
Our only pennant team to win in both weekend pennant and mid-week pennant this week was our division 3 team who played Tooleybuc at Tooleybuc. It was the last bowl of the day that decided the outcome, Lake Boga won two of the three rinks on the day but the score overall was even when the last end for the day was to be played.
We had a large group of members take part in our Christmas party last Saturday with plenty of eating and dancing with the music played by Brian Lord from Echuca.
Thanks to the club members who helped make it such an enjoyable night
Congratulations must go to two of our members who turned 80 this week, Alex Jobling and Basil Mc Donald are very active members around our club.
TOOLEYBUC
This week we start our news by congratulating our Tooleybuc Club champions for this season, Aaron Adams and Tricia Armstrong.
In the men’s game we had Brendan Smith playing in his first club championship final, against Aaron Adams.
Brendan fought hard against Aaron playing some great bowls but Aaron’s experience prevailed, with Aaron winning the game 25 to 13.
In the Ladies game Dannielle Adams played against Tricia Armstrong.
Both ladies had a very tight game and the game could have gone either way.
In the end, Tricia won with the final score being 25 to 24.
This is Tricia’s first Tooleybuc Club championship.
Both Aaron and Tricia will now represent themselves and the Club at the Champion of Champions at Murray Downs on 4th January.
Congratulations also goes out to Dannielle who has been selected in the final side of the Murray Mallee Bowls Region to compete in the Bowls Victoria Region Sides Championships in Ballarat in January.
Pennant last Saturday saw Tooleybuc play at home against Lake Boga in the first game of 3rd Division.
The end result came down to the final bowls on the day, with Lake Boga defeating Tooleybuc by 1 shot, 67 to 66.
Tooleybuc won one rink on the day which was T. Armstrong’s team by 14 shots, but it was not quite enough to cover the other two rinks.
Pennant is now on a break over the Christmas/New Year period.
Round 11 will be played on January 18 which sees Tooleybuc having a bye.
Next game will be Round 12 on January 25 when Tooleybuc will play Manangatang at Manangatang.
Midweek pennant players this week had a forfeit from Balranald. Next game will be Round 11 on January 14 against Nyah District at Nyah.
We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.
MVPA
The finals of the State 60 & over pairs and singles were played at Racecourse on Wednesday. Graeme Bennett and Norm Smith (Racecourse) were successful in the pairs, winning 15/7 from Rod Wardle (Racecourse) and Russell Fields (Swan Hill).
Norm Smith was the winner of the 60 & over singles, beating Peter Loughran (Racecourse) 21/17.
The Murray Valley faired very well in the trials for the Regional Teams to play in Ballarat on January 10, 11 and 12th with Kylie Gardner (Racecourse), Alannah Taylor (Racecourse) Danielle Adams (Tooleybuc), Karen Evans (Moulamein), Judy Wilson (Murray Downs) Josh Thornton (Murray Downs), Mick Holyoak and Norm Smith (Racecourse) all being selected.
SATURDAY PENNANT RESULTS. ROUND 10
Northern Valley Premier League. Racecourse 1 10/77 d Kerang Golf 1 2/64. Cohuna Golf 1 8/63 d Murray Downs 1 4/58. Kerang 1 9/68 d Barham 1 3/66
MVPA. Division 1. Racecourse 2 12/102 d Lake Boga 1 0/46. Nyah District 1 10/ 83 d Swan Hill 1 2/73 . Moulamein 1 10/79 d Murray Downs 2 2/55.
Division 2. Balranald Ex Serv1 12/89 d Racecourse 3 0/44. Swan Hill 2 10/64 d Racecourse 4 2/59. Moulamein Bye.
Division 3. Lake Boga 2 10/67 d Tooleybuc 1 2/66.Murray Downs 3 7/63 drew Murray Downs 4 5/63. Manangatang Bye.
Division 4. Manangatang 2 8/62 d Lake Boga 3 2/43. Murray Downs 5 forfeited to Nyah District 2. Racecourse 5 10/58 d Lake Boga 4 0/29.
SATURDAY PENNANT is in recess until Saturday 18 January 2025.
MIDWEEK PENNANT RESULTS. Round 10
Division 1. Murray Downs 1 10/71 d Racecourse 2 0/33. Swan Hill 1 8/61 d Murray Downs 2 2/49. Racecourse 1 10/57. Lake Boga 1 0/50.
Division 2. Swan Hill 2 9/50 d Nyah District1 1/42. Racecourse 3 10/52 d Lake Boga 2 0/33. Racecourse 4 10/78 d Murray Downs 3 0/39. Manangatang won on forfeit from Murray Downs 4. Tooleybuc 1 won on forfeit from Balranald Ex Serv 1.
MIDWEEK PENNANT will recommence on Tuesday January 14 2025.
LADDER
NORTHERN VALLEY PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY PENNANT
ROUND 10
Cohuna Golf 1 – 107
Kerang 1 – 70
Barham 1 – 64
Murray Downs 1 – 56
Racecourse 1 – 47
Kerang Golf 1 – 16
SATURDAY PENNANT
MURRAY VALLEY PLAYING AREA
ROUND 10
DIVISION 1
Murray Downs 2 – 81
Moulamein 1 – 77
Racecourse 2 – 54
Nyah District 1 – 53
Lake Boga 1 – 50
Swan Hill 1 – 45
DIVISION 2/3
Balranald Ex Services 1 – 95
Swan Hill 2 – 77
Racecourse 3 – 61
Racecourse 4 – 60
Moulamein 2 – 58
Murray Downs 3 – 58
Lake Boga 2 – 57
Tooleybuc 1 – 53
Manangatang 1 – 51
Murray Downs 4 – 18
DIVISION 4
Lake Boga 3 – 82
Racecourse 5 – 62
Nyah District 2 – 60
Lake Boga 4 – 40
Manangatang 2 – 36
Murray Downs 5 – 20
