SOUTH Tamworth Bowling Club hopes to celebrate one of its biggest weekends with a “mad” Monday this weekend.
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The STBC has two teams in State Pennants playoffs this weekend, one team in Ballina and the other in Tamworth in something of a first for the club.
Having a side in a State Pennant playoff is rare enough, but to have two on the one weekend is something of a coup for the club, said president Scott Sweeney.
While the club’s Grade 6 Pennant side travels to Ballina Friday morning for its weekend games, the club’s Grade 5 pennants team plays “at home” in Tamworth.
In a quirk of fate though the Grade 5 team will play all its games at co-hosts West Tamworth Sports & Bowling Club, in Belmore Street.
If they win through to the State Final then the South team will play on its home rink, with the final scheduled for a 9am start Monday at the STBC.
“That’d be nice,” said Sweeney. “Going to be a big weekend for the club though – huge.
“Having the 6s in their State Pennant playoff in Ballina is a great
double.”
Pennant teams are comprised of three teams of four players.
South’s No 5s is an interesting lineup with former Tamworth golf pro Terry Hayes, and A grade golf star Graeme Nicholls in the teams.
Club STBC secretary/manager Owen Walker is also in one of the teams of four, while club president Sweeney is part of a quartet including brothers Steve and Craig Graham.
The trio all played rugby league for West Tamworth when they were Robins and before they merged to become Lions.
Steve Graham also partnered his wife Lyn to win the STBC’s Mixed Pairs Carnival on Sunday.
Another Graham, the laconic and retired firefighter Col Graham, is in one of the Grade 6 teams with the likes of Alex Jarratt and Kris Walker, a young firebrand model of his brother Ben, who is in the 5s.
The 6s will lack nothing in entertainment on their trip to Ballina with the lilting voice of Aaron Bolton on board, and if the side has to play a little beach cricket then City United cricket stalwart Peter Mead is on board.
An allrounder of great note he first broke into first grade as a teenager with the outstanding West Leagues sides of the 80s.
So there is great talent among the South boys – whether or not is is on the bowling green remains to be seen.
Sweeney is confident the two sides will perform well when they take to the greens at West Tamworth and Ballina.
“They both play two games on Saturday and another on Sunday morning. If we win our section then we play Sunday afternoon semi finals.
“And if we win that we’ll play in Monday finals.
“All the boys have taken Monday off too.” That it’s been a good few weeks for the club is evident by the fact South Tamworth’s Nathan Wise and Scott Thorning won the Zone 3 Pairs in Armidale on the weekend.
Chris Myers and Debbie Quick, two of its outstanding lady bowlers, have also been selected in Country Northern teams to play in a statewide tournament in Cabramatta later in the year as well.
SOUTH TAMWORTH No.6s (to play in Ballina): Team 1 - Alex Jarratt, Col Graham, Brad Hogan, Kris Walker. Team 2 - Jack Stevens, Russell Jordan, Aaron Bolton, Jeremy Orman. Team 3 - Mike Whale, Peter Mead, Tony Daley, Clive Sheppeard.
SOUTH TAMWORTH NO 5s (playing at West Tamworth): Team 1- Greg Harris, Phil Johnson, Terry Preston, Terry Hayes. Team 2 - Owen Walker, Ken Lachlan, Graeme Nicholls, Ben Walker. Team 3 - Steve Graham, Craig Graham, Scott Sweeney, Kevin Mackey.