PHIL MARSDEN
IT was a disappointing, but not entirely unexpected, opening to the season for Gawler’s metro division one bowls side, as it succumbed to Rosewater by 26 shots on Saturday.
For a second season in a row, Gawler has lost quality players for a variety of reasons and is asking a lot from its replacements.
Gawler was slow out of the blocks and failed to win a rink on the weekend, although there was good fight shown, with two rink’s results not decided until the last end.
With different personnel and combinations, hopefully they will gel quickly, starting this week against Tranmere.
It was a similar story for the division four side, on the road to Two Wells.
It was always going to be a tough ask as two years ago the home team was in division two and still retains a host of these players.
Falling by 30 shots overall, Kay Moncrieff and her charges were impressive with an-eight shot victory against Two Wells’ best skipper, Paul Candlish, to bank the team two points.
The division five team was convincing winners on Hope Valley’s home deck.
Winning two rinks and drawing a third, it finished the day 26 shots up and took 13 of a possible 16 points on offer.
Peter Jones and his lads had a day out with a 38-10 shot victory, which was made even more meritorious by the fact it was a new combination.
The division six side was desperately unlucky against visiting side Playford White, losing by the narrowest of margins.
Di Marsh and her crew were 10-shot winners in the 60-61 shot loss and Vic Fielden’s four was competitive in a three-shot loss.
This week sees the team on the road against Playford Red, where it will be tested on the slow, tight greens.
On Thursday, the division one ladies travelled to Marion to kick off the 2019/2020 season.
Although they failed to win a rink, all three rinks were competitive with Kay Moncrieff’s and Dawn Warland’s girls falling by only three shots.
Considering Marion was a Premier League side last season and on its home turf, it was a creditable performance by Gawler.
Meanwhile, a 12-shot rink win by Wendy Wright’s charges wasn’t quite enough to get the division three team over the line.
Finishing 11 shots adrift at the end of play, it banked two points and will look to post a win on home turf next week.
