By Peter Brennan
Spring is upon us and summer is not far away, and while thousands may have flocked to the Caulfield Cup last Saturday the attention of Yarra Junction Bowling Club was firmly on the opening of the Pennant season.
The last few months have been busy, with practice matches against Warburton, Mooroolbark, Garfield, and others, improvements to the clubhouse planned, maintenance carried out on the green, and the sundry other activities of a vibrant club. Some members have been farewelled and new ones welcomed, and as the turnstiles clicked and the racehorses entered the starting gates at Caulfield, Yarra Junction hosted old rivals Yarra Glen in the Pennant Season opener.
It was a warm Spring day, with swirling unpredictable winds and the promise of storms to come. The green was fast, as it generally is at Junction. The camaraderie among bowlers was evident, and the standard of bowling was high. On the four competing rinks Junction took early leads on two, while the other two were neck and neck. Overall Junction held a comfortable lead at halftime, and held it through a see-sawing afternoon. By day’s end, two rinks had comfortable wins and the other two were down to the wire, not resolved until the final ends, when Junction held on to win all four rinks, thereby starting the season with maximum points. Once again the season starts full of promise.
The midweek competition starts this week, with the midweek team promoted to a higher division after a successful last season. Hopefully, their success will continue.
A special event is planned for Melbourne Cup day, with some vacancies still for teams of three. The Community Cup will start soon, and there is still time for local businesses and organisations to enter a team. Barefoot Bowls is still some time away, but mark it in the calendar. What better way to spend a summer evening?
Lawn Bowls is a friendly and engrossing sport, and visitors are always welcome at Yarra Junction Bowling Club. Why not check it out?
