Batavia league bowls season in Mid West to end on high note with Mullewa triples competition

The last event of the Batavia Bowling League season is due to run today, a week later than expected, with all participating clubs confirming they will be there for the champion of champions triples at Mullewa Bowling Club.

Teams will take to the turf in the round robin series hoping for the title of best of the best combination of the season, with four due tocompete in the ladies’ title division and five taking to the park for the men’s.

Play times will be staggered throughout the day with the five rounds of men’s play starting at 8.30am and the three ladies’ rounds starting at 9.30am.

The synthetic surface at Mullewa is running a treat at the moment and the ladies’ event looks very even on paper, with talent evident throughout individual club winners and any of the four sides a realistic possibility of taking the crown, with perhaps Wonthella’s Dorothy Stokes, Lyn Passmore and Jill Dallas having the slightest edge with the playing surface similar to their home track.

Dion Delamotte, Pauline Forrester and Julie Clarkson have enjoyed a great season for Northampton and look strong hopes to add further to the February pennant Victory. Geraldton’s hopes lie with the ultra-consistent trio of Audrey Williamson, Vicky Davidson and Kerry Koltasz.

Denison’s Pat Robins taking the skipper’s role in Colleen Cruickshank absence. June Strong will pay as sub, with Robin Watts playing lead. The men’s event has brought together a crackerjack field with host club champions Terry Koltasz, Vince Knight and Mick Thompson the headline act in an extremely open championship.

Northampton representatives Norm Cowan, Ross Johnson and Dennis Simpson along with Shane Giudice-Nairn, Dave McQuade and with Peter Reudavey, subbing for Mike Ford, from Geraldton, are all class with previous wins at this level.

The Denison representatives John Schagan, who played excellent on the surface during the recent Mullewa Bowl, Phil Davis, and Kim Elliott, should be ultra competitive — the trio claimed an excellent home championship win and rate highly. The tip, however, is for the Wonthella men and a club double, after the father-and-son combination of Michael and Paul Walton and the consistent Kerry Easton proved their credentials on the home synthetic — the Mullewa track runs similar and with an ounce of luck, the title could be the reward.

The COVID-19 lockdown caused the cancellation of the Champion of Champions WA singles title in Perth last weekend, with two local stars forced to return after travelling for the tournament.

Gloria Nelson, from Denison, and Richard Attrill, of Wonthella, were nominees, only for competition to be abandoned shortly after they arrived to contest the coveted blue ribbon.