LAST Saturday, Euroa hosted Benalla in our first practice match of the season, and bowls returned with a bang.

The greens were in fantastic condition, allowing us to complete all rinks before the inclement weather set in.

A total of 88 bowlers participated, and all games were played in great spirits.

We have developed a strong bond with Benalla over the years, and it was a pleasure to host them for the day.

The ladies, along with Chef Graeme Goode, prepared a wonderful lunch, and Sandra did a fantastic job with the raffle.

The matches comprised 21 ends straight through, with the following results:

Alex Grant, Greg Blatchford, Ross Withers, and Noel Moon: 15-21.

Richard Noble, Libby Byrne, Brian Bamford, and Buffy McFarlane: 13-25.

Max Griffiths, Anne Sutcliffe, Kerrie Steers, and James Dunn: 11-20.

Jim Perry, Lindsay Cocking, Gordon Grant, and Dot Lomer: 22-17.

Tim Scarlett, Ian South, Mavis Bruce, and Brian Diffey: 31-13.

Marg Goode, Neville Harris, Beryl Harris, and Marion McMartin: 15-18.

Pauline Naylor, Kristeen Boyce, George Andrews, and Beth Alston: 12-17.

Ken Sutcliffe, Kevin Milner, Doug Maconachie, and David Cerini: 31-09.

Billy Taylor, Jeremy Boruch, Don Steers, and Sam Barkly: 28-18.

Tony Kingma, Jan Watters, Barry Hatchman, and Keith Kruse: 23-18.

Marc Stevens, Bill Sargood, Billy Jennings, and John Groat: 19-12.

Next Saturday, we will again be at home as we host East Shepp in a practice match.

Lunch will be served at 12 pm, with the bowls scheduled to commence around 12:30 pm.

If you are keen to participate, please add your name to the list at the club if you haven’t already done so.

Midweek pennant kicks off on Tuesday, October 15, so please ensure that your membership fees are paid to facilitate administrative processes.

It is possible to pay membership fees in installments if required.

If you are unavailable for any round, please let the selectors know; there is a list for this at the club as well.

Midweek numbers are tight, so we may seek assistance from those who have offered to act as emergencies.

We have had excellent numbers for Social Bowls, with 24 bowlers participating on September 25.

This session saw Kev Milner and George Andrews prevail with three wins and a plus-28 score.

Last Wednesday, 32 bowlers played, with Jeremy Boruch, Marc Stevens, Greg Blatchford, and Gordon Grant securing the cash with two wins and a draw, finishing with a plus-seven score.

Again, please put your name on the board if you wish to play.

On Friday, September 27, around 18 bowlers participated in a five-a-side tournament at Benalla.

It was another great day of bowling.

The best performance came from the formidable combination of Tony Kingma, Shane Drysdale, Charmaine Reid, Billy Sargood, and Sam Barkly, who won five of their six matches, narrowly missing out on third place on a countback.

There are only two Nifty Fifty numbers remaining, so everything is on track for participants to start winning from October 18, the night before the Weekend Pennant Season kicks off.

All the best, and bowl well.