Murray's Preview on One Blue North.
Round Eight
January 5, 2006
Well the Xmas and New Year break have come and gone and it is now time to get
back to what really matters. Winning games of lawn bowls for your club.
This weeks fixtures in One Blue North throws up some interesting games with
the highlight being a blockbuster between first placed Dalkeith (45 points)
and second placed Osborne Park (43.5 points). Both teams have won six out of
seven aggregates and appear to be powering towards finishing the season on
top of the ladder for that all important promotion.
I once again thank all parties for participating in a pre-draw for the match
with special thanks to John Goddard,Chairman of Selectors-OP, John McIntosh,
Chairman of Selectors D/N and Andrew Collings for conducting the draw at Headquarters'.
GAME OF THE DAY
Osborne Park vs Dalkeith/Nedlands
Rance Dewson vs Tony Skoric
OP- Ron Franesconi, Bill Boyd, Peter Piercey,Rance Dewson (skip)
D/N-Mark Ridge Gary Ellis John McIntosh Tony Skoric (skip)
What a game. Vast experience versus talent and youth. Rance is undefeated
this season with a (4-0) record after spending time in first division red.
Tony
enjoys a (5-2) record with a plus 49 shot advantage. Both teams are very
strong in the middle order with Rance being supported by Peter Piercey, Billy
Boyd,
Ron (Daicos) Francesconi. On the other hand Tony can call upon the considerable
talents of John McIntosh, the underrated Gary Ellis and leader Mark Ridge.
I tossed a coin and it landed in Rance's favour.
John McIntosh (pictured) extremely good player for Dalkeith
Doug Eaton vs Marko Krajancic
O/P Con Tsokos Ben Poggi Peter Maynard Doug Eaton (skip)
D/N Ross Mackenzie Brian Barton Peter Bacich Marko Krajancic (skip)
I am really looking forward to this one. Marko Krajancic is statistically
one of the best players ever produced in Western Australia. However, if Doug
Eaton's
team plays the way it has been over the past few weeks then Marko better
be at the top of his game. Doug's rink is absolutely outstanding in its relentless
build ups and they make the opposition skipper work very hard just to remain
competitive. If Ross Mackenzie and Peter Bacich can break even they will
go
a long way to setting up a Dalkeith win on the rink.
Keith White vs Dinko Golem
O/P: Tom Hitchcock Brendon Edwards Terry Duncan Keith White (skip)
D/N:-Norm Sutton John McCormack Gordon Wilson Dinko Golem (skip)
"
Chalkey" you have your work cut out here mate. Dinko is the leading skipper
in the division this year with a record of (6-1) plus 61 shots. Besides being
a good player yourself you also have Terry Duncan (a player that I and many
others rate very highly in the bowls community). I do not know a lot about
Dinko's side in Gordon Wilson, John McCormack and Norm Sutton but for that
rink to have such an outstanding record they have to be playing well. As we
all know the skipper does not do it all on his own. Dinko to continue his winning
run (just).
Dante Mariani vs John O'Meehan
O/P:-Mike Golding Jim Griffiths, Fred Digiseppe, Dante Mariani
(skip)
D/N:-Peter Gason Alex Gryta Ross Donald John O'Meehan (skip)
John O'Meehan may not have the reputation of some of the other Dalkeith
skippers but he goes about the job of winning very effectively. He is well
supported
by his team with the brilliant Alek Gryta playing as a second. However,
Dante Mariani with an outstanding team of Fred Diguiseppe, Jim Griffiths
and Mike
Golding are going to be very hard to hold out.
This will be the game that determines the aggregate and I will stick my
neck out and select Osborne Park 6-2.
In other games
Bedford vs Nollamara
No matter what type of positive argument I try to muster for Nollamara
I cannot see them defeating Bedford at Bedford.
Bedford have too many good players on their list and they will not drop
this one. If they did, they can kiss finishing in the top four goodbye.
Bedford
7-1
Doubleview vs Cambridge
Pre-season I would have tipped this as a battle of the heavyweights.
However, both these sides have been extremely disappointing given the
talent they
have at their disposal. This will be a good opportunity for one of
these teams to
get into a winning culture and perhaps commence a run at the leaders.
Cambridge 6-2
John Dawson Cambridge (pictured) One of the best skippers
in One Blue division
Morrison Park vs Bassendean
This will be a genuinely good game. In the game prior to the break, Morrison
Park collapsed over the last few ends to throw victory away against Sorrento
whilst Bassendean were outclassed by Osborne Park. Both will be extremely
determined to atone but there can only be one winner. I am tipping that
Morrison Park
will re-bound and win narrowly at home. Morrison Park 6-2
Steve Patterson, Bassendean (pictured) A player on the
way up, huge potential
Sorrento vs Sportsmen's
My old club Sportsmen's will travel to Sorrento with one aim in mind.
That aim will be to stick it up their old coach (yours truly) because
in my
three year tenure as sole selector many of today's players would have
been playing
third division if not for the massive pre-season walkout. They will be
keen to show that I am a poor judge and that they should have been in
the first
team to start with. I am trusting my Sorrento team mates to lift to the
occasion and defeat a brave Sportsmen's outfit. Sorrento 6-2.
Tim Murray
