The bowling season is now up and running for 2010 with the start of the Open Pairs Night Tournament last Friday and Saturday.

In weather that looked decidedly doubtful on Friday afternoon the rain cleared miraculously and a full evening of bowls was able to be held, with visitors from Dubbo, Wee Waa, Walgett and Goodooga as well as from as far away as Goondiwindi and Millmarran in Queensland.

Friday evening ended with six teams all with three wins but still anybodies as there were a large number of teams on two wins.

The ultimate equal winners with six wins each were David Webb and Waylon Cochrane and Eric Whitten and Patricia Dixon from Wee Waa

David and Waylon didn’t have that sixth win all their own way. Playing against Lyn Carney and Judy Greenfield they trailed for most of the way catching up to be 12 all with one end to go.

With the girls holding two shots, David played the perfect shot with his last bowl to be just two feet from the kitty and six inches from the ditch. Judy did her best but was just another six inches behind David’s bowl.

There were six teams who ended with five wins. These were P.A. Morris, Rex Skuthorpe, Gary Roberts (Goondiwindi) Nathan Woodcock, Jay Morris and Ray Dixon (Wee Waa).

It was a great tournament marred only by the bugs. Every insect known to man staged an invasion soon after the lights went on and it got progressively worse until you could hardly play your best bowls for the beetles and other bugs littering the rinks not to mention going down your shirt or in your hair.

Because of the insect problem the times for social bowls is now changed to 3 pm start with names on the board by 2.30pm.

Sunday will be 6pm as always but the number of ends will be contingent on the time they can be played before the lights have to be turned on.

Many thanks to Joan Gebetsberger for her umpiring and to all those who assisted at the sausage sizzle and of course to Peter Williams for another well run tournament.

Until next week good bowling every one.