42 local bowlers converged on the Franskraal Bowls Club and were all offered tea or coffee and a selection of breads and jams as our Vice-President Mattie welcomed everyone. All the bowler’s wives had offered up their services for kitchen duties to allow our ladies to participate in the competition. These wives were all dressed up in red and white together with many of the bowlers too as the day was totally sponsored by OK Foods. Mattie thanked Tommie for the condition of the green, Pieter W and Fred for their barman duties and Archie who was the Umpire for the day, as well as all the wives working tirelessly in the kitchen too. Mattie then gave a special thanks to our sponsors OK Foods who also sponsored all the prizes as well as all the food too.  Players had previously been divided into 14 teams of 3 different players per team for each of the 3 games to be played. Results would be kept for skips, seconds and leads in each of the 3 games played on a 4, 2, 1 basis and adjudicated by Match Secretary Jan and assisted by our Boland Secretary Una.

Play began East-West on all 7 rinks on A Green with 1 trial end followed by 13 ends. Then it was back to the clubhouse for tea and sandwiches.  Then it was new teams and another trial end followed by 13 ends, after which, lunch was served. A generous helping of Lasagne with mince together with a fresh salad and bread and butter with a drink from the bar and a lovely pudding with custard was consumed by all. Mattie spun the wheel and Betsie was the lucky winner as Tommie turned A Green North-South. Prior to the afternoon start all 42 bowlers spread around the 4 sides of A Green as Jan collected funds for the spider. On the count of three, 42 bowls converged on the spider and Gerrie was deemed closest and won herself a bottle of wine. The final game was played after ano-ther trial end then back to the clubhouse for drinks and the prize giving. Mattie spun the wheel again and Jasper was the lucky winner. Leni was the winner of the hamper draw.  Mattie again thanked OK Foods for their excellent sponsorship and introduced the owner Christo van Rensburg to say a few words. He said that he was very glad that the atmosphere was so vibrant He thanked Franskraal Bowls Club for the opportunity to sponsor such an event and even commented positively on the red and white clothing support that he was given! Mattie asked Gideon, Jan, Cassie and Chris to stand up and show their black and green OK Foods sponsored All Cape shirts to everyone too. Christo’s wife Petra came forward to hand out the prizes as Jan gave the results and our camera man Philip caught all of the Kodak moments as follows:

1st place

Skip: Hettie 200; Second: Sip 187; Lead Dalena W 170.

2nd place

Skip: Marius 182; Second: Jaco 163; Lead: Chris 167.

3rd place

Skip: Ivan 180; Second: Danie 162; Lead: Freddie 164.

The players who had tried the hardest were:

Skip: Pieter C 100; Second: Sonja 119 and Lead: DaleneR 115.

Another great day of bowls was enjoyed by all, where everyone who participated was a winner.                     

Chris Malec