? Animal controller sits beside gorillas of the mist
Petone Central Bowls Club president Allan Dudley rejoices in the clubs renovation and top form
Petone Central Bowls Club is the talk of the town. They have secured a top four placing in the women?s premier interclub competition and are leading the men?s premier reserve, one year after merging with the Petone Bowling Club. ?The women?s side has been going like a machine ... we are looking really good right through [the grades]. ?The men?s side is well out in front, so that is a good sight for us,? says club president Allan Dudley. Petone caused a major upset in the women's section when they defeated top-of-the-table Victoria 21-0. The turnaround is remarkable as last season they had to play promotion-relegation to maintain their premier status. ?Last year was the first year we came together as a club, there are always a few creases in the first year,? Mr Dudley says. Alteration and renovation has turned the club into a class destination, with seating capacity for ?almost 50,000?, he claims. ?The alterations are fantastic; you have to see it to believe it, new seating, refurnishing, and all that jazz.? Meanwhile, the Petone Bowling Club is waiting to sell their premises behind The Fireman?s Arms. The sale could be in excess of $2.5 million, of which the majority will go ?into a trust to go back into bowls?. Starting in December, nine days of the National Bowls Competition will be held at Petone Central?s North Park grounds, attracting 3.5 thousand people to the area. Mr Dudley hopes the women?s team will topple Victoria for a national competition home-game. The men?s reserve will face bottom-placed Tawa in an attempt to reach the premier grade for next year. Eastbourne will also host five national competition games, and with the club boasting five national reps, and Petone two, the Lower Hutt is an area of over-performing bowlers. Eastbourne president Paul Everett says toppling Johnsonville in the men?s premier competition is only the first step to defending their interclub crown. ?Johnsonville are a big club with a lot of depth. ?Eastbourne is smaller and is we lose one player that is a big deal to us,? says Mr Everett. If Eastbourne beats Johnsonville, the club will then face the winner from the first and second placed play-off. ?It will be challenging but we are still confident,? says Mr Everett.
