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2023-24 program
The District program for 1 July 2023-30 June 2024 is awaiting approval by Bowls NSW; however, the “provisional” program has been distributed to clubs to assist with their planning, and can be viewed here:
“Provisional” North Shore Program 2023-24
NORTH SHORE WINS THE JEAN McKINNON SHIELD 2023
18 April 2023
The inter-District “Jean McKinnon Shield” was contested yesterday — the first time it has been run since 2019 (cancelled in 2020 & 2021 because of Covid lockdowns, and cancelled twice in 2022 because of severe rain)!
Ten teams from each of North Shore & Manly-Warringah Districts competed at Mosman BC, with the format being altered this year to include 6 teams from each District drawn of Division 1&2 players, and a further 4 teams of Division 3&4 players. All games counted towards the aggregate score. After the morning games, only 4 shots separated the two Districts! However, in the afternoon North Shore pulled ahead, to win the Shield 289-261.
Thank you to Mosman Bowling Club for hosting the day, which was enjoyed in a great spirit of friendship between our Districts.
REGION 15 SINGLES CHAMPIONS
The Region 15 play-offs for the State Women’s Singles and Senior Women’s Singles were held at Belrose today. Congratulations to Virginia Longfellow (Harbord) who defeated Elizabeth Blackwell (Turramurra) to win Region 15 of the State Women’s Singles (formerly “Open” Singles) 25-21, and also to Billie Maas (Belrose) who defeated Chris Gordon (Harbord) in the Senior Women’s event 25-9. Virginia and Billie will now represent the Region in the State Play-Offs, to be held in the Wollongong area from 20-22 July 2023.
SENIOR WOMEN’S SINGLES CHAMPION 2022-23
Congratulations to Billie Maas (Belrose) on winning the inaugural North Shore District’s Senior Women’s Singles today, defeating Julie Baker (Belrose) in a very hard-fought game 25-23.
The overcast but fine conditions saw the green slow a fraction on the previous day’s speed, but still very quick. From the outset, it was a high-quality game, with the head being changed repeatedly by the players on most ends. The game was 3-all after 5 ends, then scores crept up mostly in singles but after 14 ends Billie was ahead 12-5. Then Julie piled on the pressure, narrowing the margin to 3 with Billie still leading 14-11. Billie’s lead then stretched out to 21-14 before Julie put together a string of ends that Billie couldn’t match, with Julie taking the lead 23-21. On the following end, Julie was holding match; however, Billie’s last bowl caught a favourable wick to take shot and keep the game alive. In the closing two ends, Billie regained her momentum to close out the match 25-23.
As this is the first year that Bowls NSW has run a “Senior Women’s Singles”, a new trophy was donated to the District by Warrawee Women’s Bowling Club. Warrawee President Heather Bradley was on hand to present the trophy. Thank you to our District Vice President Di McBryde for Marking the Final.
Billie will play the Manly-Warringah Seniors champion Chris Gordon in the Region 15 Play-Off at Belrose this Sunday morning, 16 April, for a spot in the State Play-Offs.
WOMEN’S SINGLES CHAMPION 2022-23
11 April 2023
Congratulations to Elizabeth Blackwell (Turramurra) on winning North Shore District’s State Women’s Singles today, defeating Suzi Fischer (Belrose) 25-19.
On a sunny but crisp autumn morning, Suzi made the better start and was out to a 10-3 lead after the first seven ends. Then Elizabeth won the next seven ends to have taken the lead 16-11. From that point on, the players won alternating ends, cheered on by the large contingent of spectators from both Turramurra and Belrose, but that 6-shot margin persisted when Elizabeth closed out the game 25-19.
Elizabeth will play the Manly-Warringah champion Virginia Longfellow in the Region 15 Play-Off at Belrose this Sunday morning, 16 April, for a spot in the State Play-Offs.
REGION 15 FOURS PLAY-OFFS
18 February 2023
Congratulations to the teams from Manly-Warringah District who were victorious in the Region 15 Play-Offs today, and have booked themselves a berth in the State Play-Offs in Wollongong this July.
In the State Women’s Fours, the Seaforth team of Peta Cass, Dawne Delaney, Lynn O’Grady and Trish Eckford got away to a good start against Elaine Seidler, Jenny Palmer, Kate Wingrove and Jenny Hepburn (Neutral Bay) and were leading 16-6 after 13 ends. Neutral Bay then scored multiples on the following two ends, to be only trailing by 5 shots after 15 ends. However, the Seaforth ladies weren’t going to ease up on pressuring their opponents. They stretched the lead out to 10 shots once more after the 17th end, and closed out the game 23-14 on the 20th end.
In the Senior Fours, the Dee Why team of Jan Chad, Sue McFadden, Nannette Crawshay and Clare Turner looked fairly evenly matched from the start against St Ives’s Sue Byrne, Bev Barton, Jan Woodcock and Di McBryde. After 11 ends, there was only one shot the difference; however, Dee Why then put together a succession of scoring ends and stretched their lead out to 18-9 after 14 ends. St Ives struck back and had the spectators on the edge of their seats when the score after 17 ends was 18-17 in Dee Why’s favour. Over the remaining ends, it still appeared as though either team could win; however, Dee Why eventually claimed the match 21-19.
SENIOR FOURS CHAMPIONS 2022-23
16 February 2023
Play had to be abandoned on Tuesday because of torrential rain. The all-Mosman semi-final had been completed (by very wet players) with Jill Kehoe’s team defeating Robyn Novakovic’s team 18-12; however, the other semi-final was called off with two ends remaining. When play resumed this morning, the St Ives team skipped by Di McBryde was ahead on the scoreboard 16-11 over Trish Wilson’s Neutral Bay team. It looked as though Neutral Bay would pick up a multiple on the first end today (20th end of the match) until Di played her last bowl, drawing second shot. St Ives then scored a single on the 21st end, to close out the game 17-12. After a short break, the final began with St Ives and Mosman staying fairly level on the scoreboard until the 10th end, when 4 shots to St Ives gave them a 13-6 breakaway. From that point on, all four St Ives players kept the pressure on their opponents, eventually winning the championship 25-11.
DISTRICT FOURS CHAMPIONS 2022-23
12 February 2023
Congratulations to the Neutral Bay team of Elaine Seidler, Jenny Palmer, Kate Wingrove and Jenny Hepburn on achieving a “three-peat” as North Shore District Women’s Fours Champions for 2022-23, having also won in 2021 and 2020. All members of the team played very solid bowls in the Final, defying the gusting wind at Belrose to defeat Sue Meares, Julie Dunn, Ngoc Hau and Louise Amos (Lindfield Rollers) 22-13.
In the morning semi-finals, both teams had convincing wins — Neutral Bay defeating Elizabeth Blackwell’s Turramurra team Turramurra 21-10, and Lindfield defeating Patricia Tan’s Belrose team 25-13.
The District Senior Women’s Fours will be played on Tuesday 14 February. Region 15 Play-Offs against Manly-Warringah Fours/Senior Fours Champions will be held in the morning of Saturday 18 February at Belrose BC.
Below: District Fours finalists Lindfield Rollers (Left) and Neutral Bay react as photographer teeters on the edge of the ditch. (“Reaction” photo courtesy of Diana Pecar.)
REGION 15 TRIPLES WINNER
12 November 2022
Well done to our North Shore teams who took out the Region 15 wins in both the State Women’s Triples and Senior Women’s Triples at Pittwater Memorial today. The green was beautifully prepared (although quick enough to be quite a challenge) for our two Regional Play-Offs which were played alongside the Zone 9 final of the Open Reserve Triples (won by the Asquith team skipped by Wayne Morris).
In the State Women’s Triples, the Belrose team of Suzi Fischer, Julie Baker and Billie Maas made the better start against Seaforth’s Peta Cass, Lynn O’Grady and Trisha Eckford, leading 7-0 after 6 ends. On the 7th end, with Seaforth holding a multiple to get on the board, the Belrose skip trailed the jack to be up 3-and-a-measure. Seaforth skip Trisha then drew shot, but Billie trailed the jack through to the ditch for a count of 5, taking the score to 12-0 after 7 ends, and then 15-0 after 8. Seaforth picked up 3 to get on the board, but Belrose took that 3 straight back and continued on their way, to be leading 25-4 before Seaforth put together a string of 5 scoring ends, bringing the score to 25-11 with 5 ends to go. Consecutive singles to Belrose saw the match closed out at 28-11.
In the Senior Women’s Triples, the game also started with a run of single-shot ends, with Harbord’s Linda Warder, Mary Rogers and Chris Gordon up 3-1 over the St Ives team of Sue Byrne, Bev Barton and Di McBryde after 4 ends. But 5 consecutive scoring ends to St Ives saw them in the lead 7-3, and the score remained in St Ives’s favour by a handful of shots for the remainder of the game. Harbord tried to peg it back in the closing stages of the game, but the St Ives team restricted them to singles and claimed victory 18-14.
Our Regional champions now progress to the State Play-Offs, to be held in late July 2023.
SENIOR TRIPLES CHAMPIONS
8 November 2022
The Senior Women’s Triples enjoyed great weather at St Ives on 7 & 8 November. Conditions on the opening day were tricky, with the fast green and a gusty wind. By the end of the day we had the semifinalists decided, with Dawn Spinks’s team from Neutral Bay set to take on Di McBryde’s team from St Ives, and the other semi an all-Mosman clash — Julie Hayden’s team versus De Brown’s team.
In Tuesday’s semi-finals, St Ives posted a convincing win over Neutral Bay 27-17, and Julie Hayden’s team got the better of their club-mates 29-17. In the afternoon’s final, the St Ives team continued the form they had been in all championship, with Lead Sue Byrne consistently on or around the jack, and second Bev Barton and skip Di McBryde backing hger up well. After 9 ends, St Ives were dominating to lead 17-1. Mosman then won the next 5 ends with modest scores, to creep up to 8-17, only to see St Ives increase their lead on the scoreboard to 21-8 after 17 ends and look decidedly on their way to victory. However, the Mosman team of Robyn Novakovich, Denise Owen and Julie Hayden kept up the fight, and had the spectators on the edge of their seats as the St Ives margin steadily slipped away. Going into the final end, there were only three shots in it, and after the skips’ first bowls Mosman was holding 2 of the 3 shots they needed to force an extra end. Skip Julie did her best to move the jack back and bring more of her team’s bowls into the count; when her bowl just missed the target, the St Ives supporters breathed a sigh of relief and skip Di elected not to play her last bowl. Final score: 23-22.
Our State Women’s Triples & Senior Women’s Triples champions will take on the Manly-Warringah champions in the Regional Play-Off this Saturday morning at Pittwater Bowling Club.
DISTRICT TRIPLES CHAMPIONS
30 October 2022
The State Women’s Triples in North Shore District was played in fabulous weather over the weekend. After Rounds 1 & 2 yesterday, the semi-finalists took to the greens this morning. One was an “all Belrose” affair, with Judy Clubb, Anne Vaccarella & Lynne Newland taking on Suzi Fischer, Julie Baker & Billie Maas. After 4 ends Billie’s team was up 10-2 and continued to dominate on the green from that point on, taking out the match 36-11. The other semi between Elaine Seidler, Kate Wingrove & Jenny Hepburn (Neutral Bay) and Susie Meares, Ngoc Hau & Louise Amos (Lindfield Rollers) was close-fought all the way. Neutral Bay got the better start, leading 11-4 after 11 ends. However, a string of multiples to Lindfield Rollers saw the Rollers up 14-11 after 15. It continued as an arm-wrestle from that point. In the final end, Lindfield was up 22-20 and holding match, until Neutral Bay skip Jenny killed the end. When the end was replayed, Neutral Bay’s Lead and Second played match-winning bowls. The Lindfield Rollers skip didn’t convert with her first but, when she played her final bowl, she navigated the Bay’s blocker to arrive on the shot bowl and nick the jack across to her own team’s bowl to claim the match.
When the Final got underway in the afternoon, the breeze had strengthened and the green got even faster, which suited the Belrose team better than Lindfield. The Rollers got a single on the first end, but after 6 ends it was 9-1 to Belrose. Three scoring ends for Lindfield Rollers put them back in contention, at 5-9; however, Belrose took the next 5 ends to increase their lead to 17-5 after 14 ends, then 26-7 after 20. Final score: 29-10.
Good luck to our District champions in the Region 15 Play-Off, to be played at Pittwater at 9.00am on Saturday 12 November.
North Shore District Women's Bowling Association 