2019 SA Super League Round 1
DEBUTANT COACH LEFT BALD
Rogues v Chargers
Coaching strategist Roy Palmer muscled his chargers over Rogues Coaching debutant Coach Brett Baldey in a mouth-watering clash of SA Bowls Talent, 62-46. Palmer claimed the win was very pleasing and from here consistency will be the message for their team. Baldey’s Rogues were leading, however at the finish were prepared to admit the Chargers executed and took advantage of the Powerplay opportunity better than them. Baldey wanted chocolate tonight however Palmer stole his.
A top athlete’s beauty is next to impossible to describe directly. Or to evoke. Central Chargers Captain Mark Haines forehand is a great liquid motion, his backhand a premium hander that he can drive flat, load with precision, or slice through the head — the slice with such snap that the tri-colour bowl turns shapes and glides on the grass. His delivery has world-class pace and a degree of placement and variety no one else came close to in game one of the triples playing the talented Western Rogues talented outfit in Greenslade, Schapel and Nardecchia. With Greenslade providing a spectacle of big signature shots, it wasn’t enough tonight to mastermind a rink win against Bowling stalwarts Scott, Gatto and Haines.
The pairs competition saw the Rogue duo of Max Kleinig and Simon Geater-Johnson taking on the Chargers pair of Fergus Rowntree and Kevin Stock, the Rogues pairing soared to a 10-3 lead after 7 ends thanks to excellent use of the PowerPlay turning a three into a solid six early in the game, before the Chargers turned the tables using their second PowerPlay on the 16th end they effectively turned a four into an eight to jump back into the game and tie up the score at 17 all, before taking a 2 on the second to last end before the game was timed out and the Chargers took their second win for the evening.
The Singles saw two stars of the state side Josh Studham and Craig Mills facing off, with Studham representing the Rogues and Mills pulling on the Chargers colours. The two had a solid battle with the game see-sawing back and forth, before the Chargers claimed their third win to close out their games for the evening and start off the 2019 SA Super League with a clean slate.
The Under 21 competition saw the Rogues reverse their fortunes and take the victory, with the pair of Faith Scholes and Jayden Zeller taking the slimmest of victories 14-13 over the Chargers’ Amber Walker and Matt Freebairn.
NORTHERN KNIGHTS STAMP THEIR BRAND
Knights v Pirates
Last minute sickness to South Australian Bowling Royalty Simon Dorr forced last minute headaches for the Pirates team. In sub-arctic temperatures at the Salisbury Orange Bowl, Coach Morris shuffled the selected side, elevated young gun Cooper Hocking from the U/21’s and despite a 2-1 rink win for the Pirates, it wasn’t enough to secure the win going down overall 57 – 47.
Knights Rhys Taylor triples rink of Lachie Bowman and Bernie Ward were impressive with Taylor delivery motion the lithe and unassuming, distinctive only in a certain eel-like all-body snap at the moment of impact. Taylor’s anticipation and grass sense are otherworldly, and his footwork is one of the best in the game—as a child, he was also a Ceduna prodigy. All this is true, and yet none of it really explains anything or evokes the experience of watching this talent play. Of witnessing, firsthand, the beauty and genius of his game. You more have to come at the aesthetic stuff obliquely, to talk around it, or—as Brand did with his own ineffable subject—to try to define it in terms of what it is not.
In the Pairs match up, the Pirates Matthew Hull was outstanding as lead in the pairs providing a display of Bowls that Skip Adam Forbes could’ve kissed him for. Coach Morris was pleased to have won two rinks in the both the pairs and singles however the triples gap was the difference on the night. The Knights pair of Will McPharlin and Todd Brand put up a good fight and are sure to settle the further the Super League progresses. Knights Coach Geoff Brand during his press conference wants to settle the side, tweak a little and keep things consistent.
The Singles battle for supremacy between Jeff Davis and Kane Coulls was one for the Lawn Bowling purist enthusiast, neck and neck until last end, with Davis flexing and taking the rink win on the absolute last end picking up 2 to take the singles victory by the same amount.
In the Under 21’s competition, the Knights’ Sheridon Bodnar and Jack Trenorden teamed up against the Pirates Adam Burford and Lucy Tiller, with the Pirates taking the Under 21 win 16-14.
LAW DENTS BLAZERS
Blazers v Raiders
Debut Coaches faced off with the Blazers Coach Mark Denton and the Raiders Coach Richard Law locking horns, when the dust settled, Law’s Raiders took the spoils with a 61-40, taking 2 rinks to the Blazers 1.
The Triples saw the Raiders combination of Michael Lodge, Laini McGorman and Chris Flavel start strongly and never look back, taking the spoils over the Blazers Trio of Theresa Emberton, Chris Thulborn and Sue Coultas thanks to consistent bowls and shot making, with Chris Flavel recently returned from the Jackaroos tour of the UK.
Experience was key in the pairs clash, with the Blazers Ashley Whiley and Les Carter battling it out early against the Raiders Neville Mansell and Mathew Short, before the Blazers pairing finished the game strongly.
The Raiders Tony Treloar came to play in the singles game, his calm on-green demeanour showing as he romped home against the Blazers Marc Evans.
A draw was the order of the day with the Under 21 pairs match between Matthew Armitage and Jackson Saunders of the Raiders and Harry Burgess and Dylan Lewis of the Blazers, with the match finishing 15-all.
SCOTT PUTS AMOS IN HOCK
Spartans v Comets
The re-match of the 2018 SA Super League Grand Final was always set to be a thriller! Comets coach Scott Hocking would be happy with his team’s performance and looking to build on a fine start after taking the win 66-59 over the Spartan’s team coached by Deanna Amos.
Stuart Forbes, Damon Edmunds and Josh Chopin of the Comets played a bit catch-up in their match against the Spartans trio of David Bell, Darryl Stopp and Tony Devlin, down by 9 early, before finding their footing and shooting home to take the victory.
The Pairs saw the strong Spartans duo of 2018 Andrew Smith Medal winner Nathan Black and 2018 Grand Final Best on Green Medal winner Tyson Wilson assert their dominance on the competition taking the spoils over the Comets’ Cassandra Harvey and James Gregory.
Ashley Halls of the Comets showed his Singles prowess, performing powerfully over the 22 ends of the Singles match against the Spartans Blake Fiebig.
The Spartans turned the tables in the Under 21 competition, with their pairing of Adam Black and Isaac Jesser emerging victorious 24-12 over Charlie Hicks and Grace Moloney of the Comets.
