It’s that time of the year again when the hotly contested Campaspe Playing Area weekend pennant bowls competition gets off and rolling.
Clubs across five divisions will begin their charge for a premiership flag tomorrow, with division four now split into both an A and B section.
In the top division, Moama will be looking to hold on to its long-running grasp over the field.
But the reigning premier will have a raft of new faces in their division one side, after last year’s winning team moved across to the inaugural Bendigo Premier League for this summer.
The move may make for a more level playing field among the Campaspe clubs, though rivals will discount Moama at their own risk, with many moving up after already achieving the ultimate success in lower grades.
Leslie Saunderson, Neville Varcoe and Graeme Hinsley will each skip a rink for Moama in the season opener, taking on last season’s semi-finalists, Echuca, and skips James Ferrier, Ivan Hicks and Ian Page respectively.
Another of last year’s finalists Mathoura will head south to Tongala for their first game, while Rochester will do the opposite and set off north to Deniliquin.
Last season’s grand finalist Rich River will have to wait a week before returning to the greens, holding a bye for round one.
Moama will also set out to defend its division two and three titles, while last year’s division four premier Lockington will contest the 4B division this year.
Selected teams for division one weekend pennant:
Echuca v Moama
Rink one: Echuca’s James Ferrier (s), Leica Roney, Trevor Liddell, Philip Thorn v Moama’s Leslie Saunderson (s), Anthony Hawley, Laurie Campbell, Robert Halden.
Rink two: Echuca’s Ivan Hicks (s), Evan Berryman, Ashley French, Jerome Shaw v Moama’s Neville Varcoe (s), Richard Bullows, Stuart Whyte, Russell Kelly.
Rink three: Echuca’s Ian Page (s), Matthew Brighton, John Dinsdale, Stephen Cunnington v Moama’s Graeme Hinsley (s), Peter Broom, John Worledge, Arthur Bailey.
Tongala v Mathoura
Tongala teams not available at time of printing.
Rink one: Mathoura’s Mick Humphreys (s), Terry Taylor, Larry Seely, Arthur Murphy.
Rink two: Mathoura’s Mark Quor (s), Adam Cowley, Ricky Ireland, Dennis McHarry.
Rink three: Mathoura’s Rod Werner (s), Stanley Limbrick, Paul Clear, David Hicks.
Deniliquin v Rochester
Rink one: Deniliquin’s Simon Chisholm (s), Raymond Brown, John Flisher, Stephen O’Brien v Rochester’s Peter Holzer (s), Tim Quinlan, Rob Dennis, Leslie Walles.
Rink two: Deniliquin’s Brian Kemnitz (s), Graham Nisbet, David Hessel, Mark Tasker v Rochester’s Richard Feuk (s), Robert Clayton, Graham Willis, Don Gillies.
Rink three: Deniliquin’s Shane Laing (s), Robert Morris, Lindsay Franklin, Peter Chadderton v Rochester’s Kelvin Wiffen (s), Ross Turner, Bruce Major, Garth Wiffen.
Rich River: bye.