Above: That’s two up … Canadian bowler Michel Larue was at his quirky best during the men’s pairs match against Burden Park on Friday afternoon.Above: Threetime Canadian junior champion Ryan Bester struggled to find rhythm on the Burden Park green, forcing him to drive a number of bowls. By Glen Atwell
THE Burden Park Bowling Club’s Chairman XI side claimed its first international scalp, beating the esteemed Canadian side 4-2 in front of a boisterous crowd on Friday afternoon.
Eager onlookers could plainly see the match – previously dubbed a ‘friendly’ – was all-out competition.
Drives and measurements replaced smiles and handshakes as bowlers from both teams quickly sensed how close the match was going to be.
Using the match play as a lead-up to the Asia-Pacific Bowls Championships next week, the six-man, six-woman Canadian team had trouble adapting to the pace of the Burden Park green and could not stop the home side from recording a confidence-boosting win.
Ray Gaunt staged a thrilling tie-break win over Canadian star Ryan Bester, winning the men’s singles two sets to one, 4-7, 10-3, (2-1 tiebreak).
Bester seemed unsettled on the Burden Park surface and was forced to break open the head with several surging drives, wowing the large crowd on hand.
Keith Ronaldson and Ken Mackenzie combined in the men’s pairs to oust the talented Canadian team of Chris Stadnyk and Michel Larue two sets to zero, 9-7, 16-5.
The Canadian side had great support on the sidelines, thanks to the Canadian Club of Victoria representatives Delyse Knol and Baxter Henderson organising flags and banners.
After the bowling concluded players mingled and enjoyed a barbecue and a drink long into the night.
Canadian team manager Bob North said the opportunity to bowl against some talented locals on great greens was perfect preparation for his side.
“It’s winter in Canada, and very hard to find a good green, so we’ve come half-way around the world,” North laughed.
He congratulated Burden Park chairman Mitch Meyer for his role in organising the successful exhibition match.
“Mitch has been great. Without his support, today probably wouldn’t have been possible,” North said.
The Asia-Pacific Bowls Championship rolled into action yesterday (Wednesday) at the Darebin International Sports Centre.
