2024/25: Brian Binney, Elaine Weskin, Edwina Foster, Bill Kell
Final: Edwina Foster, Brian Binney, Bill Kell, Elaine Weskin beat Lyn Ker, Les Kempton, Maggie Edgar, Barry Whinfield 15-13 Group ASkips P W L D F A PtsElaine Weskin 2 2 0 0 39 31 4 Julia Barron 2 1 1 0 44 34 2 Len Paterson 2 0 2 0 29 49 0 Group B Skips P W L D F A Pts Barry Whinfield 2 1 1 0 34 29 2 Ellaine Jopling 2 1 1 0 32 30 2 Brian Barron 2 1 1 0 27 34 2
BILL KELL, among the most popular players in the club since he returned to Merriwa from Wanneroo, picked up his second title in three days, adding the Mixed Fours to the Men's Fours, as the decision to move the championships away from the pennant season proved a definite success as the final was again watched by significant numbers. And they were not disappointed as Edwina Foster, also notching up a second success after helping her rink to clinch the Ladies Fours on Tuesday, Brian Binney, Bill and Elaine Weskin survived a last-gasp flourish to beat Lyn Ker, Les Kempton (a last-minute sub for Clive de Ridder), Maggie Edgar and Barry Whinfield 15-13. Edwina has turned into an excellent lead in a relatively short space of time and the same can be said of Elaine as a skip with her larger-than-life personality and calmness under pressure. Yet she was not originally scheduled to play but filled in before the start of the competition when Marilyn Bradbury wa forced to cry off. She gets the best out of her players and no-one responded better than Brian Binney, who played some telling bowls at critical moments. Elaine's team built up a slender 12-10 lead with singles and the occasional two before taking a crucial three on the 19th end to open up a five-shot gap. Barry's team took the last two ends but could muster only three shots, leaving an absorbing final in the balance until the very last bowl. ROOKIE skip Elaine Weskin sent Julia Barron crashing out of two championships in which she was the defending in the space of three days. On Tuesday she put paid to any hopes Julia had of retaining her Fours title and on Thursday she skipped a rink of Edwina Foster, Brian Binney and Bill Kell to a hard-earned 17-13 victory over Helen Paterson, Danny Macfarlane, Roberta Waldeck and Len Paterson. Any victory for Len, barring a landslide, would have give Julia's rink the group on shot difference. Len's team made them work hard for the win, leading 11-8 and 13-12, before Elaine put it to bed by taking the last four ends. Much to his surprise, Barry Whinfield will skip the opposition in the final, after they limped to the top of the group on shot difference after losing 13-18 to a team skipped by Brian Barron that was a completely different to the one that surrendered meekly the previous week to Ellaine Jopling's four. Lyn Ker, Clive de Ridder, Gail Kempton and Barry led 11-4 on nine but won only two more ends as Veronica Thysse, Alex Galbraith, Lyn Sibson and Brian ultimately outplayed their opposite number BOTH first round losers bounced back in their second game to give themselves a chance of progressing to the final. Julia Barron, Joy Gillian and Les Mikowiec, the defending champions, along with Chris Beaney, replacing Mitch Brown, made sure of victory with nine shots in the final two ends for a 26-12 win over Helen and Len Paterson, Roberta Waldeck and Danny Macfarlane. Up until then Julia's team mainly had the upper hand, although Roberta's draw bowling prevented the opposition getting too far ahead. The deciding game will feature skip Len going up against Elaine Weskin. The same scenario applies in the other section as May O'Neill, Merv Davies, Charlie Dodson and Ellaine Jopling won the last eight ends to take the score from 9-9 on 11 to 21-9 against Vernoica Thysse, Lyn Sibson, Alex Galbraith and Brian Barron. There was no hint of the ultimate ease of victory as Veronica gave an outstanding display of leading but somehow Merv, Charlie and Ellaine all found a way of getting the shot. The final nail in the coffin came on the 16th end when a count of five was on the cards only for Brian to pick up the kitty and trail it to the opposition. Now Brian's four must beat Barry Whinfield to give all three a chance of going through. JULIA BARRON, bidding for a third straight win in the Mixed Fours, will have to do it the hard way after suffering a first round defeat to a rink skipped by fast-improving Elaine Weskin. Joy Gillian and Mitch Brown were forced to pull out and the revamped team of Chris Beaney, Soly Batka and Les Mikowiec played second fiddle to Edwina Foster, Brian Binney, Bill Kell and Elaine, 22-18 despite opening the match with a five on the first end. Elaine hit back with fives of her own on four and ten, the second of which took them into the lead, which they never relinquished. With two sections of three teams, the defending champions can still reach the final from this sectional format. In the other section, Clive de Ridder, Lyn Ker, Maggie Edgar and Barry Whinfield put in a dominant performance, 21-11, against May O'Neill, Merv Davies, Charlie Dodson and Ellaine Jopling.