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YOUTH BOWLS IN KLERKSDORP A GREAT SUCCESS
A week of bowls for the under 25 bowlers of South Africa ended on Friday, 9 July, on a very high note when the finals of the U/25 Inter-Districts were played at Klerksdorp in the morning between the top teams. After the finals an U/25 team was announced who took on the Bowls South Africa Seniors (over 60’s) teams (men and women).
The finals of the U/25’s was decided between Western Province, skipped by Eugene Ferreira and the very strong team of Southern Free State, skipped by international star Wayne Perry. Southern Free State with Wayne Perry, Handrč Marais (both international players), Jarred Oracki and Natasha Spring in the team proved to be too strong for Western Province and won 27-10. Eastern Gauteng was third.
In the Plate event Natal Inland, Skipped by Bradley Reichert took top honours by beating Western Province, skipped by Will Esterhuizen 28-15. Southern Cape was third.
The development competition was won by Western Province (La Arnolds) with North West (MacDonald Raadt) second.The plate event was won by North West (Jabu Nkosi) with Gauteng North (Eben Tswai) in the second place.
On Friday afternoon the juniors took on the strong Bowls South Africa Seniors team. The U/25 teams were announced by Debra Ferguson, vice-president of Bowls South Africa. The teams were-
Women: Singles: Kim James (Natal Inland); Pairs: Natasha Spring (Southern Free State) & Janita du Toit (Western Province); Trips: Tracy-Lee Botha (Western Province), Hazel Muller (North West) & Petro van Aswegen (Mpumalanga).
Men: Singles Wayne Perry (Southern Free State); Pairs Clinton Roets and his younger brother Zane (both Southern Free State); Trips: Handrč Marais (Southern Free State), Pikkie Abbott (Griqualand West) & Pierre Breitenbach (North West).
Amd great excitement and expectations, not only amongst the players, but also among the large contingent of spectators who converged on Klerksdorp Bowling Club to see who are the best bowlers around The youth or the more experienced Seniors. The spectators were treated to an exhibition of excellent and highly competitive bowls.
Wayne Perry of the U/25 team was the only one of the younger bowlers to emerge as victor when he beat Ernie Pritchard of Western Province 21-6. In all the other matches the Senior proved too good for the younger bowlers.
The results were:
Women
Singles: Colleen Grondein (Port Natal) beat Kim James 21-12; Pairs was won by the senior team of Yvonne Steenkamp (Kwazulu Natal) & Evelyn du Preez (Vaal) 22-18. TheTrips was also won by the Seniors team Hester Bekker (Sables), Margaret Stanbury (Eastern Gauteng) who replaced Jannie de Beer & Juliana Fasen (Eastern Gauteng) 24-19.
Men
Pairs: The senior team of Spike Jones (Southern Free State) & Koos Claassens (Boland) beat the Roets brothers 18-10 and the trips was also narrowly won by the seniors after a marathon game when the final end was burned by the two skips no less than seven times - the score was 18-17. The Senior team was Martin van Zyl (Boland), Peet Badenhorst (Southern Cape) & Ralph Gandy (Central Gauteng).
At the closing of the weeklong event Piet Breitenbach, president of Bowls South Africa, announced the names of the players to who are invited to the SA Masters, Open, Seniors and the newly created Masters for under 25’s.
Men: Justin Alberts (Mpumalanga), Pikkie Abbott (Griqualand West), Pierre Breitenbach (North West), Niksa Benguric (Gauteng North), Eugene Ferreira (Western Province), Norman Forbes (Kwazulu Natal), Sean Lotter (vaal), Wade Marshall (Port Natal), Jarred Oracki (Southern Free State), Zane Roets (Souther Free State), Bradley Robinson (Natal Inland) & Gareth Walls (Central Gauteng).
Women: Vashti Bluchner (Sables), Tracy-Lee Botha (Central Gauteng), Janita du Toit (Western Province), Kim James (Natal Inland), Sheleen Jordaan (Eastern Gauteng), Jacoleen Koekemoer (Grqualand West), Hazel Muller (North West), Carla Peyper (Northern Free State), Natasha spring (Southern Free State), Lauren Strachen (Eastern Gauteng), Petro van Aswegen (Mpumalanga), & Tanya Visagie Gauteng North).
At the same time members of the newly established Silver Squad was announced. The Silver Squad consists of young U/25, talented up and coming bowlers that have been identified by the National Selectors to be trained and given exposure at a high level. Members of the Silver Squad are to serve as replacements and reserves for the Gold (International) Squad, and will be under constant review depending on form and performances.
Members of the Silver Squad are (Men) Pikkie Abbott (Griq), Pierre Breitenbach (N.W.), Eugene Ferreira (W.P.), Norman Forbes (KZN), Jarred Oracki (S.F.S.) & Zane Roets (S.F.S.). The Girls are Vashti Bluchner (Sables), Tracy-Lee Botha (C.G.), Janita du Toit (W.P.), Hazel Muller (N.W.), Natasha Spring (S.F.S.) & Petro van Aswegen (Mpuma).
(Tys Pringle, Bowls South Africa, (014) 717 3966 or 083 320 7793)
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