Midweek Pennants: Season 2023/24
October 28
Merriwa 59 (5pts) North Beach 46 (1)
Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 28-10
Edgar McKenna Adams Palmer 16-15
Tremlett Arter Brown Paterson 15-21
November 2Dalkeith Nedlands 58 (1pt) Merriwa 63 (5)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 26-13Edgar McKenna Adams Palmer 17-27Tremlett Arter Brown Paterson 20-18
November 9Merriwa 65 (5pts) Wanneroo 42 (0)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 28-8Edgar McKenna Adams Palmer 14-22Tremlett Beaney Brown Arter 23-12
November 16Merriwa 79 (6pts) Joondalup 59 (0)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 21-19Edgar McKenna Adams Palmer 32-18Tremlett Brown Paterson Arter 26-22
November 23
Osborne Park (away)
Cancelled - 3 points each
November 30Merriwa 67 (5pts) Warwick 46 (1)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 32-13Edgar McKenna Adams Palmer 12-20Tremlett Brown Paterson Arter 23-13
December 7Yokine 64 (5½pts) Merriwa 55 (½)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 22-24Edgar McKenna Adams Palmer 17-17Tremlett Beaney Paterson Arter 16-23
December 14Merriwa 65 (5½pts) Sorrento 57 (½)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 25-18Edgar McKenna Kempton Marsh 21-21Tremlett Eaton Appleton Paterson 19-18
2024
January 11Doubleview 67 (4½pts) Merriwa 59 (1½)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 22-21 Edgar McKenna Adams Palmer 23-23Tremlett Brown Paterson Arter 14-23
January 18North Beach 59 (1pt) Merriwa 68 (5)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 21-19 Edgar McKenna Paterson Palmer 31-13Eaton Brown Adams Arter 16-27
January 25Merriwa 66 (6pts) Dalkeith Nedlands 35 (0)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 17-15Edgar McKenna Paterson Palmer 29-8Tremlett Brown de Ridder Adams 20-12
February 1
Wanneroo (away) - cancelled
3 points each
February 8Joondalup 75 (6pts) Merriwa 38 (0)Winter Welyky Mikowiec Ebsworth 15-25 Edgar McKenna Paterson Palmer 14 -25 Tremlett Brown Adams Arter 9-25
February 15
Osborne Park (home) - cancelled
3 points each
February 22Warwick 49 (1pt) Merriwa 67 (5)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 20-22 Edgar McKenna Paterson Palmer 19-17 Tremlett Brown Adams Arter 28-10
February 29Merriwa 79 (4pts) Yokine 47 (2)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 20-23 Edgar McKenna de Ridder Paterson 15-19Tremlett Brown Adams Arter 44-5
March 7
Sorrento 61 (5pts) Merriwa 57 (1)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 13-22 Edgar McKenna Paterson Palmer 36-12Tremlett Brown Adams Arter 8-27
March 14
Merriwa 66 (5pts) Doubleview 53 (1)Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 28-17 Edgar McKenna Paterson Palmer 15-20Tremlett Brown Adams Arter 23-16
PROMTION PLAY-OFFS
March 21Merriwa 70 warwick 54Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 28-18 Edgar McKenna Paterson Palmer 20-13Tremlett Brown Adams Arter 22-23
THE unthinkable is now almost reality - Merriwa are one game away from reaching the unprecedented heights of Division One.
Standing in their way is Mundaring, who finished eighth in Division One Blue North with just four wins in 18 matches.
Warwick, with a large, vociferous following, made Merriwa fight all the way for this play-off victory.
Not for the first time this season, Graeme Winter, Bill Kell, Les Mikowiec and Gavan Ebsworth led the way with a 28-18 victory thanks to a pulsating final three ends in which Merriwa took nine shots to leave a precarious 19-18 far behind.
Neville Palmer, who has spent much of his career in higher echelons, and his team of Ian Edgar, Joe McKenna and Len Paterson turned the tide with a six on 12 to go ahead 13-9 and after swapping singles, Merriwa took three on the last for a 20-13 success.
Merriwa were foiled from making it a clean sweep, whem Warwick scored eight shots in the last three ends to pip Colin Tremlett, Mitch Brown, Kevin Adams and Alan Arter 23-22.
March 28Mundaring 86 Merriwa 45Winter Kell Mikowiec Ebsworth 14-26 Edgar McKenna Paterson Palmer 20-23Tremlett Brown Adams Arter 11-37
IN Merriwa's short history, there has never been a men's team in Division One - but this is probably the nearest they have come.
When the RAAFA village was built and a bowling green laid to attract residents, there were no thoughts of competing at a high level.
Over the years good players from other clubs in their bowling career twilight years were indeed attracted to move into the village.
In the last few seasons, the players have emphatically proved that age is no barrier to success.
Last season, in winning the D3 Flag, the band of sexagenarians. septuagenarians, octogenarians and even nonagenarians were head and shoulders above the rest and in finishing runners-up to champions Osborne Park by just four and a half points in D2 was a massive achievement.
Some of these players will almost certainly be calling time on their bowling days in the not too distant future and Merriwa might go back down the ranks but by any stretch of the imagination this has been a golden period for the club.
The gossip coming back from Mundaring was that the host club stacked one rink as their best chance of takiing the aggregate.
If that was the case, it worked - Colin Tremlett, Mitch Brown, Kevin Adams and Alan Arter losing 11-37.
The other rinks blew healthy positions, particularly Ian Edgar, Joe McKenna, Len Paterson and Neville Palmer.
Leading 20-13 on 17, they fatally dropped a six on 19, and went down 20-23.
The season's most successful rink - Graeme Winter, in his last season before joining ... Mundaring, Bill Kell, Les Mikowiec and Gavan Ebsworth - were 14-12 on 15 before the home side more than doubled their score to win 26-14.
October 28
Sorrento 64 (2½) Merriwa 64 (3½)
Welyky Futter Szonyi Appleton 11-32
Eaton Beaney Phillips Thomas 31-13
Cope Schuller Marsh Whinfield 22-19
November 2Merriwa 71 (5pts) Warwick 57 (1)Welyky Szonyi Appleton Avery 24-23Eaton Beaney Phillips Thomas 17-20Cope Schuller Marsh Whinfield 30-14
November 9Scarborough 46 (0pts) Merriwa 61 (6)Welyky Galbraith Szonyi Appleton 25-17Cutten Eaton Phillips Thomas 17-15Cope Schuller Marsh Whinfield 19-14
November 16Quinns Rocks 69 (5pts) Merriwa 48 (1)Welyky Beaney Szonyi Appleton 10-26Endacott Eaton Phillips Thomas 13-26Cope Schuller Marsh Whinfield 25-14
November 23Yanchep (home)Cancelled - 3 points each
November 30Sorrento 57 (5pts) Merriwa 52 (1)Welyky Beaney Szonyi Appleton 14-19Davies Eaton Galbraith Thomas 17-19Cope Schuller Phillips Marsh 21-19
December 7Merriwa 62 (5pts) North Beach 58 (1)Welyky de Ridder Szonyi Appleton 20-18Davies Eaton Galbraith Thomas 14-28Cope Schuller Phillips Marsh 28-12
December 14Wanneroo 58 (5pts) Merriwa 54 (1)Welyky Sanabria Binney Szonyi 18-23Davies Nicoll Galbraith Thomas 12-21Cope Schuller Phillips Davison 24-12
2024
January 11Merriwa 84 (5½pts) Yanchep Two 68 (½)Welyky Beaney Szonyi Appleton 30-26Davies Eaton Davison Thomas 28-28Cope Schuller Phillips Marsh 26-14
January 18Merriwa 71 (5pts) Sorrento 63 (1)Welyky Beaney Szonyi Appleton 25-20Davies Davison Galbraith Thomas 29-20Cope Schuller Marsh Phillips 17-23
January 25Warwick 63 (5pts) Merriwa 42 (1)Welyky Beaney Szonyi Appleton 20-19Davies Eaton Galbraith Thomas 10-22Cope Schuller Phillips Marsh 12-22
February 1Scarborough (home) - cancelled3 points each
February 8Merriwa 41 (1pt) Quinns Rocks 74 (5)Beaney Bedford Szonyi Appleton 18-17Davies Eaton Galbraith de Ridder 12-33Cope Schuller Kempton Marsh 11-24
February 15Yanchep (away) - cancelled3 points each
February 22Merriwa 73 (4pts) Sorrento 57 (2)Welyky Beaney Szonyi Appleton 21-22Davies Eaton Galbraith Thomas 32-13Cope Schuller Kempton Marsh 20-22
February 29North Beach 63 (5pts) Merriwa 52 (0)Welyky Beaney Szonyi Appleton 18-19Davies Eaton Galbraith Thomas 17-19Cope Schuller Kempton Marsh 17-25
March 7
Merriwa 91 (6pts) Wanneroo 36 (0)
Welyky Beaney Szonyi Appleton 33-13Davies Eaton Galbraith Thomas 32-10Cope Schuller Kempton Marsh 26-13
March 14
Yanchep 77 (5pts) Merriwa 53 (1)
Welyky Beaney Szonyi Appleton 24-23Davies Whinfield Eaton Thomas 14-26Cope Schuller Kempton Marsh 15-28
PROMOTION PLAY-OFF
March 21Scarborough 57 Merriwa 52Welyky Beaney Szonyi Appleton 23-12Davies Bedford Eaton Thomas 13-21Cope Schuller Kempton Marsh 16-24
LIGHTNING does not strike twice as Merriwa's hopes came to a gritty end at Scarbough, where early in the season they had taken all six points - by far their best performance of the season.
The combination of Wal Welyky, Chris Beaney, Steve Szonyi and Steve Appleton, which could easily have been a first team rink, did their best to create a winning platform by getting home with a clearcut 23-12 victory.
The other two rinks played second fiddle for most of their matches, both losing by eight shots.
October 28
Quinns Rocks 75 (6pts) Merriwa 55 (0)
Endacott Galbraith Sanabria Barron 21-22
Kempton Edgar M Sibson Batka 17-27
Davies Dodson Davison Binney 17-26
November 2Merriwa 80 (6pts) Joondalup 35 (0)Endacott Galbraith Sanabria Barron 20-14Cutten Kempton Sibson Batka 26-13Davies Dodson de Ridder Binney 34-8
November 9Wanneroo 77 (5pts) Merriwa 48 (1)Endacott Waldeck Sanabria Barron J 19-17Cockayne Barron B Sibson Batka 9-36Davies Dodson Edgar M Binney 20-24
November 16Merriwa 67 (4½pts) Yanchep 49 (1½)de Ridder Waldeck Sanabria Barron J 18-18Cutten Kempton Sibson Edgar M 29-10 Davies Batka Dodson Barron B 20-21
November 23Bullsbrook (away)Cancelled - 3 points each
November 30Warwick 71 (5pts) Merriwa 54 (1)Endacott Waldeck Sanabria Barron J 13-34Dodson Kempton Edgar M Barron B 31-14 Cutten Binney Sibson Davison 10-23
December 7Merriwa 72 (5pts) Ellenbrook 49 (1)Endacott Emmerton Sanabria Barron J 27-12Dodson Kempton Edgar M Barron B 16-21 Cutten Binney Sibson Davison 29-16
December 14Merriwa 65 (5pts) Quinns Rocks 51 (1)Brown Emmerton Batkaa Barron J 22-15Bomford Stanley Sibson Barron B 13-22Cutten Boyd Kempton G Edgar M 30-14
2024
January 11
Joondalup 60 (5pts) Merriwa 48 (1)Barron B Skinner Sanabria Barron J 15-18Dodson Cutten Kempton L Edgar M 20-17
Binney Endacott Sibson Waldeck 13-25
January 18
Merriwa 84 (6pts) Wanneroo 47 (0)Barron B Skinner Sanabria Barron J 39-13Dodson Wright Kempton L Edgar M 20-15
Binney White Sibson de Ridder 25-19
January 25
Yanchep 81 (5pts) Merriwa 41 (1)Barron B Skinner Sanabria Barron J 16-25Dodson Cutten Waldeck Edgar M 3-40
Binney Endacott Sibson Davison 22-16
February 1Bullsbrook (home) - cancelled3 points each
February 8
Merriwa 55 (6pts) Warwick 40 (0)Barron Endacott Sanabria Barron 17-13Cutten Dodson Waldeck Edgar 17-13
Binney Boyd Sibson Davison 21-14
February 15Ellenbrook (away) - cancelled3 points each
February 22
Quinns Rocks 66 (5pts) Merriwa 56 (1)Barron Endacott Bradbury Barron 21-20Paterson Dodson Wright Edgar 16-20
Binney Bedford Sibson Davison 19-26
February 29
Merriwa 85 (6pts) Joondalup 33 (0)Paterson Endacott Barron B Barron J 28-13Cutten Dodson Kempton Edgar 30-6
Binney Bedford Sibson Davison 27-14
March 7
Merriwa 86 (6pts) Yanchep 43 (0)Barron B Endacott SanabriaBarron J 36-9Cutten Dodson Kempton Edgar 24-16
Binney Bedford Sibson de Ridder 26-18
March 14
Bullsbrook 80 (6pts) Merriwa 34 (0)Barron B Endacott SanabriaBarron J 12-27Cutten Dodson Kempton Edgar 7-30
Binney Paterson H Sibson Davison 15-23
PROMOTION PLAY-OFFS
March 21Merriwa 50 Yanchep 49 @ Quinns Rocks
Barron B Endacott Sanabria Barron J 22-12Cutten Dodson Kempton Edgar 12-22 Binney Paterson H Sibson Whinfield 16-15
THIS has to go down as one of Merriwa's most famous and unlikely victories - so unlikely that some of the players had left the premises and so missed a sensational and for Yanchep a gut-wrenching last end.
Needing six to win a marathon match, Brian Barron took the mat up the rink as far as possible and put the kitty on the tee.
He then drew two close shots as did Bryan Endacott and Sergio Sanabria and Julia Barron followed suit, while the unnerved Yanchep players had just one in the head.
It was sufficient to prevent Merriwa getting the six they needed and Julia offered her hand to her opponent. To everone's amazement, the skip decided to deliver her last bowl and with unerring accuracy took out her nearest bowl.
Five were readily conceded and at the very least, an extra end on all three rinks was now a reality and phone calls would have been needed to get the departed Merriwa bowlers back to Quinns Rocks.
It all rested on the measure for sixth shot and the Merriwa players could scarcely believe it when it went in their favour.
Their joy was mixed with perplexity and a certain amount of sympathy as to why the skip sent down that ill-fated bowl - something she will never do again...
The satisfaction for Merriwa was to silence the watching Yanchep players who loudly pronounced 'we've won' with two ends still to play.
When the dust had settled, one or two were far from gracious in defeat.
Merriwa's chance looked to have gone when, on the penultimate end, the Yanchep third ditched the jack only for Julia to draw shot - six to win was definitely easier than seven!
Julia's 22-12 victory cancelled out a defeat by the same score for Peter Cutten, Charlie Dodson, Gail Kempton and Maggie Edgar.
The one shot difference in a 50-49 scoreline came from Brian Binney, Helen Paterson, Lyn Sibson and Barry Whinfield, who let slip a promising 12-7 lead but managed to clinch a 16-15 win.
March 28Quinns Rocks 47 Merriwa 76
Barron B Endacott Sanabria Whinfield 26-11Binney Paterson H Sibson Davison 29-22
Cutten Dodson Kempton Edgar 21-14*
* Match conceded after 20 ends
A TEAM that almost didn't start the season had a glorious end to the campaign with a handsome 76-47 victory in the final promotion play-off game at Quinns Rocks, whose vociferous supporters were reduced to stony silence for most of the game.
Sadly, the player who made the biggest contribution to the success, Julia Barron, seventh on the individual ladder, was forced to miss the climax to a season of low expectations because of grandparent duties..
In her place came Barry Whinfield, whose enjoyment at being back playing bowls after a four-month absence was clear to see as he put on a masterclass of skipping, particularly in the early stages.
From 0-3, Barry, Brian Barron, Bryan Endacott and Sergio Sanabria won ten straight ends to lead 18-3 and although the all-female Quinns rink won four of the next five ends, there was never any danger of them wresting the initiative - Merriwa winning 26-11.
Several of the Merriwa players thought their chances of winning were slim but all three rinks won in some style.
The only alarm came when Brian Binney, Helen Paterson, Lyn Sibson and Norm Davison hit skid row in going from 13-7 (on eight) to 15-20 (on 12), dropping 4, 3 and 6 in that spell.
But instead of crumbling, they responded by winning eight of the last nine ends for a 29-22 victory.
The whitewash was completed by Peter Cutten, Charlie Dodson, Gail Kempton and Maggie Edgar, who led for all but one end.
After 20 ends with the outcome long since decided, the players shook hands at 21-14.
Not perhaps Merriwa's finest hour(s), but certainly one of them.
Hopefully, the club will have enough players to take their place in Division Four next season, and this success will not have been in vain.