The mighty Forbes Bushrangers hit the road over the weekend, swapping the country air for the sea breeze as 12 enthusiastic bowlers, making up three teams of four, travelled to Sydney’s Northern Beaches to compete in the annual Dee Why Mug Carnival. The two-day carnival has become a much-loved tradition for the Forbes Bowling Club, with the Bushrangers making the trip to Dee Why for many years. The friendship between the two clubs is certainly a strong one, with Dee Why returning the favour each year by sending 12 or more bowlers to compete in Forbes' annual Easter Carnival. The Northern Beaches certainly rolled out the welcome mat on Saturday, turning on some beautiful coastal weather for a fantastic day on the greens. However, mother nature had other ideas come Sunday, with challenging winds and rain testing the skills, patience and determination of every bowler! With a whopping eight games and 88 ends played over the two days, there was certainly no shortage of bowls, friendly rivalry or tired legs by the time the final bowl was delivered! Unfortunately, the mighty Bushrangers couldn't quite get their hands on the coveted Dee Why Mug this year, but they certainly gave it their all and flew the Forbes flag with pride. The Mug may have stayed at Dee Why, but don't count the Bushrangers out - we'll be back for another crack! A big thank you to Dee Why Bowling Club for their hospitality and for continuing this fantastic tradition between our two clubs. We look forward to welcoming our coastal bowling mates back to Forbes for our next Easter Carnival! BENTICK TROPHY Our annual Bentick Trophy will kick off this week. The draw and handicaps are on the board. SOCIAL BOWLS Wednesday – no results at time of publication. Thursday - There was plenty of action, friendly rivalry and a welcome return to the greens at the bowlie, with some great bowls played across the rinks. Bobby Grant and Dale Scott combined forces to claim a solid 22-17 victory over Al Hilder and Laurie Crouch. With just five shots separating the teams at the finish, Bobby and Dale did enough to get the job done and walk away with the bragging rights. Tara Shaw and Posso Jones proved to be a winning combination, putting together an impressive performance to defeat Tim Everest and Glen Kearney 24-14. The pair found their winning touch and secured a comfortable 10-shot victory. Rink 6 was the scene of a special comeback! After more than 15 years away from the sport, Danny Duggan dusted off his bowls and made a welcome return to the greens, teaming up with Cherie Vincent to take on Max Vincent and Wayne Burton. And what a way to make a comeback! Neither side could be separated, with the match finishing in a nail-biting 12-all draw. It seems Danny hasn't forgotten after all those years. Winning rink – Shared between Danny Duggan, Cherie Vincent, Max Vincent and Wayne Burton. Losing rink – Tim Everest and Glen Kearney. Jackpot winner of the day – Bobby Grant. Resting touchers: Posso Jones. Raspberry: Max Vincent and Wayne Burton. Sunday - With so many of our regular bowlers away for the weekend, it was a case of quality over quantity as 10 keen bowlers still turned up ready to roll. Jamie Dukes and Lyall Strudwick had their work cut out for them against Trish Todd and Scott McKellar. In a closely contested battle, Jamie and Lyall managed to get their noses in front and claim a hard-fought 16-13 victory. With just three shots separating the teams, there wasn't much room for error. Meanwhile, the triples combination of Gill Taylor, John Simmonds and John Cutler proved too strong for Ron Thurlow, Al Hilder and Bobby Grant. Gill, John and John combined their efforts to secure a solid 12-6 win, doubling their opponents' score and earning themselves the bragging rights for the day. Resting touchers: John Simmonds. Raspberry: Scott McKellar. Winning rink: Jamie Dukes and Lyall Strudwick. Losing Rink: Trish Todd and Scott McKellar.
