BOWLS – MOE CLASSIC PAIRS – LIAM DURKIN
MOE Bowls Club Classic Pairs event had a local winner.
Just unfortunately for Moe, one of the winners came from down the road.
Trafalgar bowler Matt Schreyer and partner Gary Johnson (Webconna), claimed the title, narrowly holding out Moe’s John ‘Banger’ Harvey and Ray Jansen.
Harvey carried home crowd hopes in last Friday’s final, but he and Jansen ultimately had to run second to an opposition that did not drop a game over the two-days of competition.
In a tense final that went down to an extra end, the combination of Schreyer and Johnson prevailed on the Moe Bowling Club synthetic.
The winners were gracious in accepting the award, paying credit to Harvey and Jansen for what was a final that could have easily gone either way.
“It was very hard fought, Ray took our bowl out on the last end of play when we had the shot and we had to go an extra one,” Johnson said.
“Ray has won here (the Moe Classic Pairs) and the Newborough Classic as well, so he’s a very good bowler.
“Local hero Banger bowled really well, they both made it hard for us.”
As players went shot-for-shot, Schreyer and Johnson held on by one as the game reached its climax.
Schreyer said the plan was to maintain the lead by not putting bowls in a position that would give the opposition an additional target.
When the extra end was called, Jansen won the coin toss and elected to give Schreyer and Johnson the mat, meaning he would have the last bowl.
That carried a risk, as Jansen and Harvey could have found themselves in an unwinnable position by then, but as Johnson admitted, he and Schreyer “would have done the same.”
Schreyer wished to acknowledge Moe Bowling Club, especially match committee manager Sandy Caines.
“Magnificent tournament, really well run, Sandy does a great job with all his tournaments, but this is one of the special ones,” Schreyer said.
Players came from across the state, and indeed the country to take part in Moe Bowling Club’s Classic Pairs.
Local bowlers pitted themselves against some of the best, with the challenges not just confined to a player’s direct opponent.
Huge wind gusts created havoc last Thursday, as by all reports, bowls were literally deviating at 45 degree angles.
Despite this, Caines said it was another successful tournament.
“Its’s been a very popular event, it’s our major event for the year,” he said.
“Anyone can enter, this year the field is very strong, lot of top bowlers from Queensland, Victoria, all over Melbourne.
“This year we took in 28 entries, which is all you can fit on the (two) bowling greens.”
The Classic Pairs is steeped in history, and has been running at Moe Bowling Club since 1977.
The positive flow-on effects from people coming for the tournament could be seen by the number of players utilising hospitality and accommodation services.
Moe Bowling Club also receives support from Moe Racing Club, who were on hand during the final.
Racing Club chairman Mike Vanderfeen presented award winners with their cheques.
Caines encouraged anyone interested in taking up bowls to consider joining Moe.
“The more the better, the last couple of years we’ve got ex-footballers, cricketers joining, younger blokes, which is good,” he said.
The bowling club clubrooms are also available for hire.
For more information, phone 03 5127 3855.
