Shanes hold their own

The jaunt to Launceston went well in all respects except the actual lawn bowls results. The format was two one-hour matches. We were drawn against the two eventual grand finalists.

Breakfast was pies at Ross. Dean holds that they are the best pies, in the World. As he has been a roving Pie Ambassador for the UN (Nicole Kidman style) I don't think we can doubt his word. We got to the Trevallyn Bowls Club on time with no incidents. No repeatable jokes were told on the way.

We bowled reasonably well. Dean kept us in the first match against Trevallyn Cricket Club with three inexplicable drives delivered in non-driving situations. He didn't really intend any of them, he just was having trouble coming to grips with the parched and sandy surface at Trevallyn. However they came about, the three shots were worth 10 points saved and 3 points on the board. We still lost, deservedly.

Our next match I would say we bowled near our peak, but only won two ends. We lost 12-5 to Latrobe Hardware. The heads were all incredibly tight, you could cover six or eight bowls with a doormat. Our opponents had the edge in class. The late mail around was that their number 2 was an A grade ring-in who had played for Tasmania.

So, we found ourselves well out of the running, and challenged some local old-timers to a match because we weren't that interested in just sitting and watching the final. We finally put it all together, and the Shanes d Derek, Ronnie, Gordon and Vic 14-8, to salvage some southern pride. It was a very even performance from the team all day, with perhaps newcomer Dan taking the honours as best afield.

One of the old gents watching us play told me he played Tuesday Turkey Triples. "You bowl in threes, that's the triples. The winning team gets a turkey. Each. The losing teams put their cards on the table. One gets drawn, they win chickens. The rest stay on the table and there is another draw..." I was hoping he would say they win quail or pigeons. ..." and they, er, also win chickens".

So - if you are ever in Launceston with a couple of buddies at a loose end, remember Trevallyn Tuesday Turkey Triples.