2023/24 champion: Neville Palmer
ON the hottest finals days in living memory, Neville Palmer began a reign that could rival that of Merriwa's seven-times single champion Lindsay Marsh.
Neville is a remarkably youthful looking 86 and under normal circumstances that could be an issue but, assuming he stays fit and healthy, he will be a firm favourite in the coming years against the current crop of Merriwa players.
Although a scoreline of 21-11 against Alan Arter suggests a one-sided final, it was far from that and both players produced some wonderful bowls under pressure.
Alan has struggled in intense heat in the past and tended to be a little short on the long ends that Neville persisted with even to the point of occasionally sending the jack in the ditch.
Neville made the quicker start (7-1 on five) but on 14 ends Alan was well in the game at 10-14. From that point Neville, who joined Merriwa this season along that well-trodden path from Wanneroo, pulled clear, denying Alan ends that he had no right to win.
A side issue to the final was a matter of bragging rights between RAAFA villages Merriwa and Cambrai with the latter gaining a strong foothold on that internal rivalry with Mitch Brown, Colin Tremlett and Neville making it three in a row for the near neighbours.
Another minor consideration for the finalists was the age-old North v South battle in many sports in England - Nev representing the north west and Alan the south east. Both have long since left their chilly place of birth, a far cry from the conditions they experienced yesterday when normally it would have been played in mild autumn weather.
Neville has now won two titles in his first year, underlining emphatically the comments made by pairs partner Mitch Brown just before his old Wanneroo team-mate joined Merriwa. 'He is capable of beating anybody at this club,' said Mitch amd it has not taken long for that prediction to be realised.
In Alan and semi final opponent Les Mikowiec, he has beaten two of Merriwa's best players of the last ten years. And in doing so, he copleted a family double as son Stephen has just been crowned - literally - the Wonthella singles champion. And they do, indeed, wear a crown for the coming season!
NEVILLE PALMER reached his second final in his first season at Merriwa with a surprisingly easy 18-7 victory against twice-champion Les Mikowiec.
Having already won the pairs, Neville had the opportunity to meet his partner Mitch Brown in the singles final. But Alan Arter had other ideas and now two English-born players will contest the final on April 7.
Neville's decision to join Merriwa has been a great benefit to the club and on Thursday he will be skipping a rink at Mundaring as Merriwa men attempt to reach Division One for the first time. His lack of setting the jack was all too apparent as he continually gave the initiative to Les by putting it in the ditch. On one such occasion - the eighth end - Les took full advantage for a count of three - but that was the last time he scored. Although Nev continued to mess up setting the jack, he responded by playing much better weight with the his bowls.
From 5-7 adrift, Nev took six straight ends and the game was over in just 14 ends.
Les, at 68, was the youngest of the quartet, who had a combined age of 331 (Mitch 90, Alan 87, Nev 86).
Mitch and Alan probably edged it for quality over Nev and Les over 19 tightly contested ends that Alan won 18-13. They know each other's game well, Mitch playing second to Alan in Merriwa's top team. Mitch had one glitch, dropping a full house on five but got three of them back the next end. Alan had a lead of six by the 15th end (16-10) and although Mitch chipped away he could not get to parity.
NEW BOY Neville Palmer has emerged as favourite for the singles title at his first attempt.
By his own admission, the former Wanneroo player is not a fan of singles, which requires consistent draw bowling, preferring the drama of skipping. But there was nothing wrong with draw bowling in his quarter final tie against another ex-Wanneroo player, Bill Kell, who was swept aside 18-4. Having already won the pairs, with Mitch Brown, this could be a vintage season for the Palmer family as his 66-year-old son, Stephen, has won the singles, triples and fours at Wonthella.
Neville now faces his toughest test yet in twice-champion Les Mikowiec, who got the better of Steve Appleton in the closest of the three games, 18-12. Steve conceded three counts of three in the first nine ends in going behind 12-4 and although he rallied to 12-9 in the space of two ends, Les had enough in hand to complete a relatively comfortable victory.
Les will be the only semi finalist not using an arm.
Mitch was given a good battle by Eddie Eaton even if the 18-9 scoreline suggests differently.
On the seventh end, Eddie took a maximum count, a rare feat against Mitch, to lead 7-4. Unfortunately for Eddie that simply galvanised Mitch into winning nine of the next ten ends from which there was no way back.
To complete the round former champion Alan Arter beat Steve Phillips 18-6 in just 12 ends on Saturday afternoon.
MITCH BROWN, less than a decade away from getting a telegram from the British monarchy for reaching 100, dispelled suggestions his talent is waning with a ruthless 18-4 win over this season's top pennant skip, Gavan Ebsworth.
Clearly when a player gets to his Nineties he is not the bowler he once was - but Mitch, champion in 2003 and 2022, is still a force to be reckoned with and he has every chance of adding a third singles title to his name.
Another nonagenarian, Lindsay Marsh, way ahead of the field as the best ever Merriwa player, ran out of steam against Bill Kell, some ten years his junior, who ended the contest with seven shots in two ends to go from 12-14 to 19-14.
The earlier finishers all assembled to watch a marathon between twice-champion Les Mikowiec and visually-impaired Brian Barron, who once came within one shot of beating indoor world champion Jamie Walker, in England in 2011. His game has deteriorated since those halcyon days but in an epic against Les, he twice held a game-winning lie only for Les to show his undoubted class by denying Brian victory with critical shots under pressure. Les went on to win18-17 in a game that lasted 23 ends and nearly three hours.
President Steve Phillips, missing from pennants for several weeks through ill health, was set for an easy win over Ian Edgar at 10-0 and 14-2 but in the end got home 18-16. Ian took maximum fours on 10, 11 and 13 to make deep inroads into the lead without getting his nose in front.
Pairs winner Neville Palmer beat hs pennant protege Joe McKenna 18-11, Eddie Eaton beat his pennant skip, Ivor Thomas, 18-9, while the remaining games were one sided as follows: Steve Appleton beat Merv Davies (4) and Alan Arter beat Peter Cutten (5).
COLIN TREMLETT, a singles champion last season after 60 years of trying, bowed out in his first defence of the title.
And the man who beat him was the player who wins singles titles - and lots more - for fun, Lindsay Marsh.
At one stage it looked as if Colin would meekly surrender his title in the alignment round as he dropped four scores of three in five ends to trail 5-14 on eight. With Lindsay theoretically able to end the contest in one end, Colin knuckled down to the task of rescuing the situation, which he did with aplomb, getting to 17-17 on 19 ends. The game was on a knife=edge and Lindsay prevailed with the critical shot on the 20th end.
Not only did defending champion Colin go out but also the man he beat in the final, Graeme Winter, in what was a game of stupendous quality against former champion Steve Appleton. The closing ends were worthy of a national final with Steve edging the game 18-16 with a no-nonsense drive of deadly accuracy.
Ian Edgar and Mike Batka were involved in a marathon that finished an hour after some of the one-sided games. Fatigue seemed to be a factor in the closing stages with Ian winning 18-16 in a scrappy finale.
Len Paterson is a notoriously slow starter and giving Alan Arter a 6-0 lead on four did not help his cause. However, he recovered to lead 11-9 on 14 but the wily campaigner hit back to take the game game 18-12.
Part-time bowler Bill Nicoll gave Ivor Thomas a fright before going down 15-19, while Joe McKenna had a strong finish to see off Barry Whinfield 18-11.
Eddie Eaton was too consistent for Brian Binney in winning 21-9 and the remaining games were all one-sided as follows:
Peter Cutten beat Charlie Dodson (5), Steve Phillips beat Clive de Ridder (4), Neville Palmer beat Bryan Endacott (4), Bill Kell beat Chris Beaney (4).