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Barefoot on the park

(The Citizen -February 10, 2006)

BAREFOOT bowls, not original in its concept, is becoming the vehicle ailing clubs are using to improve their memberships by bringing more people into the game.
As always it is so funny, again it is the simplest of things causing this upsurge.
Newbie "Barefoot" Bowls is becoming the new mode of relaxation for busy young executives who find getting together with two friends and forming a triple are able to enjoy themselves in the twilight of the day, learn the game and have a few beers and a 'boerie' roll in the pub afterwards.
In many cases, the twisted arms that brought non-players to the greens in the early evening have turned into arms delivering bowls and loving it.
WPCC, the home club of revered Neil Burkett, is already into its second month of hosting the three-week series; another has doubled its membership from a paltry 17 to 34 devoted players and the club on the beach, Camps Bay, are set to join the swing to the new game next month.
Ideally suited to the Cape with its long, long evenings where light is still plentiful by 8pm the format is simple with each of three players in the team delivering two bowls. After the first round of play, it is all on a strength versus strength basis, as best plays best to find an eventual winner after three weeks. There are no dress restrictions and the wearing of white clothing is discouraged, and all your need are flat-soled shoes or your own bare feet, from which the name has derived its name.
The people who thought this one up are to be congratulated, succeeding at building the game where many more conventional and conservative methods have not.

MOST of the faces you likely to see at the SA Eagle-Perfect Delivery SA Masters at Wingate Park, Pretoria next weekend, played in the SA Commonwealth versus SA Seniors matches last Saturday and Sunday and the seniors proved they are not by any means 'over the hill'.
Perhaps it is just as well the Commonwealth players, who leave for Melbourne on March 5, will not have to play against their esteemed elders at Wingate Park after their showing in the practice match. From the scores it appears the seniors held the upper hand.
However, when it comes down to being on the green in a one-to-one singles battle things can change dramatically as they have in many encounters in past Masters.
The defending champions, Gerry Baker and Susan Nell, cannot go into Friday's first rounds with any sort of complacency as the field chosen this year is strong and the winning of a Masters title is the one most of them aspire to.
Baker, for his consistency alone, must be favourite to add yet another title of his lot and this excellent player will give anyone of the green a hard go. However, lurking among all the wonderful players among the 16 is the little Maestro, Kevin Campbell, who is to this day spoken of in awe for his gold medal in World Bowls in 1976, and has four Masters titles to his name. He has been there before and knows the road. Not many will have the chance to run him off it.
 Susan Nell, whom some thought was a bit of a surprise winner last year, has since gained national honours and is a member of the Commonwealth Games team, but she will have to be at her very best to be able to walk up and collect the trophy again this year.
All her Games teammates are in there including national singles champion, Colleen Webb, and again here in the women's section there is a 'lurker'. Leone du Rand opted out of the game some years back saying she would be back in 2005. She was and took the Bowls Gauteng North Masters title to force her way into the SA field.
She will vie for the title she won several years ago when at her first peak. Maybe another peak is on the way for her and South African bowls.
Most of the SA Seniors will also be at Wingate Park in their version of the Masters and maybe some of the best competitive bowls will happen on the greens where they play. Who knows?

RAIN has played havoc with the Cedar Park Independent Plumbing Supplies Floodlit and Monday's games this week had to be played on Wednesday. They'll play catch up next weekend by hopefully playing on Monday and Wednesday.
Log positions after the second round are: Section 1: Baker 37, Benguric 36, Piketh 28, Fraser 20, Noonan 17, Piper 11. Section 2: Van Rensburg 37, Donnelly 35, Trigwell 26, Visser 23, Oliver 17, Rimmington 12.

Younger players benefit by absence of stars

The Citizen - April 28, 2006

Several districts playing in the annual inter-districts tournament in Johannesburg were denuded by the unavailability of many players, but this has been to the benefit of many others who have the opportunity to further their own causes.
The absence of some players has definitely shown in the form of some teams, more particularly Western Province where they have lost four of their top players to retirement and lack of leave left for bowls has become obvious.
Without Neil Burkett, (in Australia), Eric Johannes (no longer available), Kevin Campbell (reportedly retired) and Shaun Addinall (no more leave) they are much less the team they have been.. However, this is not say that the team put together has not acquitted itself well and the younger players drafted into the side have coped admirably with the task.
Not least of these is 40-year-old Peter Harvey, son of one of South Africa’s greatest bowlers, Tommy Harvey, who passed away at the age of 42 in the prime of his bowls career. Just to watch the son play one sees the father in him and that recognizable push delivery is so evident in the son.
Western Province manager, Bobby Cron said Harvey would soon be skipping one of the WP teams in inter-district tournaments.
It was also fortuitous for Western Province that former international Alan Lofthouse was able to make himself available to skip one of the WP fours after it became obvious Neil Burkett would not be back from Australia in time . His experience at this and international level has been a definite factor in helping the WP younger players..
There is a lot of youth in this tournament not least of all from Bloemfontein where we have Clinton Roets, Wayne Perry – both already internationals – Handre Marais who made such an impressions in gaining a bronze medal in the SA Masters, together with Wayne York and Jarred Oracki. With this talent, the future of the game in Bloemfontein looks very alive and well, if not now, as they lead their section after the sixth of the nine rounds.

Talk of younger players brings us to thoughts about upcoming international events and the national selectors are expected to go for youth when they pick their sides for the African States tournament in August. They are due to announce their sides at the end of the inter-districts this evening (Friday).
When I say going for youth I apply that more to the men than the women for there is a definite lack of younger players of established caliber among the women, a matter that should receive the urgent consideration of national and district executives.

So with youth in mind what do you think – and I expect brickbats – of my side for the African States.
Men: Fours: Brian Dixon, Wayne Perry, Duane Abrahams and Handre Marais. Singles: Nic Rusling.
Women: Fours: Loraine Victor, Cheryl Cox, Colleen Webb and Esme Steyn, although I would like to see Leone Durand, recently returned to the game among those names. For the singles there is only Lorna Trigwell.

Men’s national tournament chair Nicky Parker has been at the inter-provincials as a spectator and tells me all is in readiness for the tournament that begins in Cape Town on May 13 with the pairs competition. Headquarters is at Constantia.

One thing the inter-provincials have brought out is that there are some better bowlers on the national executive. National president Piet Breitenbach skips one of the two North West fours while executive member Tys Pringle has the same job for Limpopo.