Bowls season started officially on Tuesday 11 October with Monbulk 1 making the trip to Upwey in what turned out to be a close match.
Brian Smith’s rink had a close contest early and was all square after seven ends. However, they lost the next two ends including dropping 5 shots on the ninth end to trail by 6 shots. They then lifted their game and won the next 7 ends to lead by 6 shots with 5 ends to play. The Monbulk rink only won 1 of the final 5 ends but was able to hang on and win by 2 shots, 20 to 18.
Jenny Holmes rink started slowly and was 5 shots down after 3 ends. This margin was maintained until the eleventh end when suddenly the Monbulk rink clicked into gear winning 6 of the next 7 ends to lead by 3 shots with 3 ends to play. However, they lost the last 3 ends to go down by 2 shots, 16 to 18.
Eric Markham’s rink was also involved in a close tussle, but when they picked up 5 shots on the ninth end they led by 4 shots. They maintained this lead until the thirteenth end but then lost the next 5 ends to be 2 shots down with 3 ends to play. The Monbulk rink then won the next 2 ends by 1 each to level the scores going into the last end. The scores were also tied on the main board which meant that the side that won the last end would win overall. Monbulk held the shot, but the Upwey skip was able to kill the end which then had to be replayed.
Monbulk once again held the shot but an excellent bowl from the Upwey third took the shot and they were able to hold it meaning the Monbulk rink went down 15 shots to 16 and also lost the overall by 1 shot, 51 shots to 52.
Monbulk 2 started the season playing Narre Warren at home. Peter Lee’s rink picked up a number of multiples including a 6 in the first 7 ends and jumped out to a lead of 12 shots. They then continued to win the majority of ends and had a comfortable win by 20 shots, 32 to 12. Graeme Goller’s rink was within one shot after 7 ends but then lost the next 5 ends to trail by 9 shots after 12 ends. The Monbulk rink rallied to get within 5 shots with two ends to play but eventually went down by 10 shots, 16 to 26.
Don Barnetson’s rink was one shot down after eleven ends, but then picked up 16 shots in 5 ends including two 5’s to lead by 16 shots. They then lost the last 5 ends to win by 5 shots, 27 to 22. Monbulk won overall by 15 shots, 75 to 60.
Monbulk 3 played Boronia at home and even though they lost on two of the three rinks they were still able to take the overall points. Mike Harris’ rink was tied on the fifth, eighth and tenth ends. The Monbulk rink then lost 6 of the next 8 ends to trail by 6 shots with 3 ends to play. They won the last 3 ends to go down by two shots, 23 to 25. Barry Adsheads rink started well and led by 8 shots after 3 ends. They then lost 5 of the next 6 ends to be just one shot in front. By the sixteenth end they had increased the lead to 4 shots but then dropped 5 shots to lose the lead. They then levelled the scores on the second last end, but couldn’t continue the momentum losing by two shots, 19 to 21. Bruce Cockerill’s rink came out firing winning 6 of the first 7 ends and led by eleven shots. This lead was then reduced to 5 shots by the twelfth end, but the Monbulk rink then increased this to 12 shots two ends later and went on to win by a margin of 29 shots to 17. Monbulk won the overall by 8 shots, 71 shots to 63.
