Sports News
 Bowled Over
Scaling new Heights
Congratulations Workers Heights on taking the initiative and moving into the 21st century by introducing the concept of open competition.
This is a positive step towards providing attractive and alternative formats for bowlers. Now all we can hope for is that men and women bowlers will embrace the concept and it will be a roaring success.
The weekly Wednesday night bowls at Heights which starts at 6.30pm will now be open to teams of men, women and mixed triples all competing against each other. Teams from other clubs are most welcome to participate. Names in to the club on 6624 3040 by 6pm please.
The Heights monthly handicap singles, which has now been going for some weeks, has proved a very popular event and it, too, will now be open to all bowlers. This Sunday, November 25, is the next opportunity for you to give it a try and I am assured it is a real buzz. Names in by 6pm on Saturday if you want to try your hand at singles, again with men and women competing against each other. Visitors, of course, are encouraged to attend.
The East Lismore Travelling Bowlers will be holding their Christmas party on Sunday, November 25, with registration at 9am and play commencing at 9.30am. At 12.30pm, bowls will cease and the party will begin with lunch and presentation of prizes. A small charge of $3 for green fees will be made and the rest is free courtesy of the Travelling Bowlers. A challenge has been issued by the Travellers to East Lismore Club and it should make for a very enjoyable day.
This Saturday at Workers Heights an afternoon of bowls, sponsored by Richard Latta Tree Lopping and Landscaping Service, will be held, with starting time at 1pm. The format is two rounds of pairs, one of 2,4,2 and the other, 3 bowl pairs. Prize money and trophies galore will be up for grabs and afternoon tea will be served. Single names and team entries need to be in by noon on Saturday.
Remember that mixed twilight bowls is on at South Lismore on Mondays starting at 5.30pm. Format is single entry, club selected pairs/triples and names need to be in at the club on 6621 3510 by 5pm on the day.
East Lismore also have mixed twilight bowls, on Tuesday evenings with names in by 5pm on 6621 5098 for a 5.30pm start. Dress is mufti and new/beginning bowlers are very welcome.
Umpire's Corner
Law 58B Infringement of a law that has no penalty.
If an infringement of any law which does not have a penalty included in its statement is established after an appeal by a controlling body, side manager/captain, skip, or an opponent, or the umpire by observation, the umpire shall warn the player. If the player commits the same offence for a second time, any end in progress shall be declared as completed and the opponent shall be awarded as many shots as there are bowls in use by the opponent.
On committing the offence for a third time the game shall be stopped and the game awarded to the opponent. The result of the game shall be awarded as if the team or player had received a forfeit and a win recorded together with the number of shots as specified in the conditions of play for the game.
In a team game a warning to one member of a team shall be considered as a warning to all members of the team.
In a side game the warning of a member of the side shall only apply to the members of the team.
Until next week,
good bowling.
 Hook and Slices
with Stan Bendall
NRDGA
The final Northern Rivers event for the year will be the Alex Armstrong memorial trophy played between seniors, colts and juniors this Sunday at Ballina golf club. Tee off is at 8am. Back the seniors!
The North Coast Amateur open is on at Coffs Harbour on Friday, November 30 - Sunday, December 2.
The NRDGA program meeting is at Ballina Golf Club on Sunday, December 2. Executive meet at 8.30am and delegates at 9am.
 Penman in the Aussie Open
18 year old Robert Penman, from Kyogle, has qualified as an amateur for the Aussie open this weekend. Robert, a former Northern Rivers representative, state junior and colts representative, qualified after shooting a magnificent 7 under par 67 at Lakelands in the second qualifier last Monday. Good luck Rob!
Ballina
The men's 4BBB stableford captains versus presidents is on this Saturday followed by the Christmas Party and Presentation night.
Veteran golfer Ollie Foster won the single stableford last Wednesday. Mark Astley took out A grade; Bob Hosie won B grade and Michael Vlack C grade.
Consistent Bob Hosie took out the daily double last Friday, winning the day and single stableford from Tony Hughes.
Me ol' mate Gaz Coutts won the single stableford last Saturday. Young club talent Daniel McPhie took out A grade from Tony 'Murf' Murphy. Mark Fletcher won B grade from Ken Davey and Graham 'Colie' Colefax won C grade from Tony Ryan.
Casino
A 4BBB stableford will be played for Christmas hampers this Saturday.
The Claude Viel vardon will be on Saturday, December 1, as will the December medal.
The family connection trend continues with father and son combination Kevin and Scott Yates winning the 4BBB stroke last Saturday from Steve Humphries and Lismore's Peter Molloy. Good stuff fellas and keep that close family tie together.
Consistent Thursday player Dave Beaumont did it again last week, winning the day from Terry Heir.
The new 18th green is coming along fine with the surrounds turfed and the surface planted. It's looking great and should be ready for play in February.
Coraki
Presentation day is on this Saturday and will be a mixed 4BBB stableford event with a single in conjunction followed by the club presentation and dinner.
Frank Robson and Neil Garrett won the two person ambrose last Saturday by 5 from Cheryl and Peter Marshall and Gary 'the saw painter' Holmes and Peter Speeding.
Well done to Tony Clark and Dave Loader who represented the district recently when they travelled to Mollymook for the state final. They finished sixth overall in a field of 42, only 5 points behind the winners. Well done fellas!
Lismore
The Lismore team will travel to Mullumbimby this Saturday to contest the first of the two rounds of the Starr Cup. Lismore are the incumbents and the return will be at Lismore on Saturday, December 8.
The December medal is on Saturday, December 1.
The Rotary Charity Golf Day is on Sunday, December 2. It will be a four person ambrose with a shotgun start at noon and costs $25 per head.
The North Coast Children's Home charity day is on Sunday, December 9, and will be a four person ambrose with a shotgun start at midday for $20.
The Red Cross Golf Day will be played on Friday, December 14. Breakfast is at 7.30am, tee off at 8.30am, lunch 1.30pm, the event is a four person ambrose.
Steve Payne recorded a very good 48 in the single stableford last Thursday to win by 2 from Bill Graham. Peter Warren won the first nine. Bill 'Oogie' Wotherspoon is still performing like a vintage wine as he shot one under his age 77 - top effort Bill!
Boy, were there some hot scores recorded off the back tees during the December medal last Saturday! Justin Lane took out A grade with 63, winning by 1 from Nathan Scroope. Steve Fredericks won the gross with a fine 4 under par 66. Consistent veteran Claude Gardiner showed he's back in form by winning B grade with 62 (check the board, Claude), 1 ahead of Angelo Zorzo. Tim Warren took out the gross with 79 hits. Brian Sidney showed he has recovered from his back operation by taking out C grade on a countback from Les Britt and Clinton Halstead with Les' brother Alan winning the gross. Ron Scott had a form reversal to take out the coveted Bradman's trophy with 84 net.
Steve Morrissey recently contested the second qualifying round of the Aussie Open at Arundell Hills in Queensland. Unfortunately the combination of the tough course and the storms meant that he didn't quite make it but it was a great effort to get that far. Well done Moose for putting Lismore and the Northern Rivers on the golf map!
Woodburn-Evans Hd
An aggregate stableford will be played for Christmas hams this Saturday.
The December monthly mug will be played in three grades on Saturday, December 1, as the start of the Summer eclectic.
Hazel Campbell and Val Forster won the ladies 18 hole Canadian foursomes event last Wednesday from Nancy Webb and Lorraine McDonald.
Barry Townsend took the honours from John Ramsay and that famous name Evans Paddon in the vets' 12 hole stroke last Thursday.
Bill Flanagan and Brett Forrester won the 4BBB stableford last Saturday from Mick Middleton and Jim Perkins while Betty O'Grady took out the ladies section.
Last Sunday Sid Rolfe took out the RSL 12 hole stroke.
 What's My Line
with Ian Clark
From Mud to Muddies
What a weekend. For us anyway. From mud throwing four wheel drive action to a quiet session on the water in the boat.
As I mentioned last week, Neil Lennard organised a 4X4 Mudkhana at Willowbank. Neil was kind enough to host my family for the day. And what a day it was.
From the time we got there it was all go. Vehicles of all descriptions and modifications were there to see. But it was mainly targeted at the weekend four wheel driver.
And unlike some fishermen, if you asked these blokes or women they are more than happy to fill you in on experience, set up of vehicles and so on. You virtually had to walk away from them to get them to shut up.
The four wheel drive fraternity is one of the best groups of people you can get involved with. Sure you have your cowboys that rip up dunes and make their own tracks etc. But they are no hopers. Losers that are not worth wasting the breath to speak to.
Believe it or not most four wheel drivers are conservationists. They leave the area as they found it. They want to come back to the same environment another time.
Look out, I am stepping up on the soap box.
So, to get back to last weekend, if you missed it, that is a shame. But give Neil a tingle on 07 3200 0708 or send an email to nlennard@bigpond.com so you can get on his mailing list and not miss out on the next event.
Now, to the fishing and I must confess Janette, my wife, showed me up again with the biggest catch of the day and the number caught.
But there is a dispute on. I caught a juvenile moses perch in the river. I have always known them as a reef fish. So, to me, to have caught one of these in an estuary makes me the winner through species rarity.
If you can help settle this minor protest please contact The Echo on sport@echonews.com
To this week's fishing.
There is not much to report. Last week was not all that successful. The juveniles are out numbering the adults at this stage of the season.
The snapper are good if you can get out to the reefs.
The odd tailor is around Evans Headlands with bream off the walls.
Decent size whiting are in the Evans River although most of the flathead are still undersize.
Flathead in better sizes are in the Richmond around Pimlico along with some school jew holding out in the same area.
The beach is hard to predict. Get out there early before wind and sun up and you should pick up some whiting, bream and the dart on sunrise.
The muddies are still good in North, Teven and Emigrant Creek and upper Evans River.
Talking of muddies, my uncle, who lives on the Queensland coast, dropped a couple of pots in using a plastic container with holes punched in the lid containing Pal dogfood.
When he checked them the lid was off, the container and pot were empty.
Baffled by the discovery, he refilled the container, tightened the lid and dropped the pot.
When he checked again there was a large muddie in the pot, the lid was off and the container was empty. This is not a fisherman's tale.
Until next week, fun fishing
Handcycling Demo Today
 Check out handcycling this afternoon in Spinks Park.
A demonstration of handcycling, one of the biggest growth sports for people with disabilities, will be held in Spinks Park, Lismore, on Thursday, November 22, from 4.30-6pm.
Simon Hancox, a development officer from the NSW Wheelchair Sports Association, is bringing three handcycles from Sydney for people to come and try.
'It's a great sport for people with lower body disabilities and has become very popular in Sydney,' Hancox said.
In addition to handcycling, a representative from the Summerland Gliding Club of Casino will be on hand to talk about gliding as another potential sport for people with disabilities.
This is part of a package of new activities that the North Coast Sports Council for the Disabled is trying to introduce according to Regional Coordinator Jak Carroll.
'We started with wheelchair basketball earlier this year, had the Disabled Surfers Association running activities at Byron Bay last weekend, and now we have handcycling and gliding as other recreation opportunities for people with disabilities,' Carroll said.
Following a recent grant from NSW Sport and Recreation, the North Coast Sports Council for the Disabled is also planning to assist in the development of talented athletes with a disability next year.
'Our plan is to work with the North Coast Academy of Sport and Sydney Academy of Sport to develop those athletes with a disability who are serious about making it to top in their chosen sport,' Carroll said.
For further information contact: Jak Carroll, Regional Coordinator, North Coast Sports Council for the Disabled, ph 6620 3759, or Simon Hancox, Development Officer, NSW Wheelchair Sports Association, 9809 5260.
Get Fit for Summer
 The Duck Creek Mountain masters swim club is offering people a fun way to lose that winter bulge and tone up for the hot weather.
Members meet on Tuesdays 6-7pm at the Ballina memorial pool, Thursdays from 6.30-7.30pm and Saturdays 8-9.30am at the Alstonville pool for coaching, fitness and a good time.
All levels of swimmers over 25 years are welcome. For more information phone Therese 6624 2289 or Tooka 6687 8140.
World Champion to Race in Lismore this Weekend
World Under 21 Champion David Kujawa from Poland leads an International field of riders in the long awaited return of speedway Bikes to Lismore Speedway this Saturday night.
A big crowd is expected to watch the pick of the world's best young talent line up in the Seaside Moto Cycles International Golden Helmet Series presented by nine times World Champion Ivan Mauger.
With riders from Germany, England, Russia, Czechoslovakia and Poland plus the only female in the line up, Stina Borufsen from Norway, it truly is an international field.
And there will be more than points up for grabs in the Jack Daniels Golden Helmet series, as national pride comes into play with three Australians lining up against the Europeans.
Speedway bikes are basic, but very fast. With 500cc producing 70-80hp on Methanol fuel in a Bike that only weighs 85kg that gives them a power to weight ratio of almost 1hp to 1kg, which is similar to a Ford Lazer with 900hp.
If that's not frightening enough - they don't have brakes, it's considered excess weight!
The riders are arriving in Lismore tonight and will be at Lismore Shopping Square and Lismore Central with their bikes to sign autographs from 6-9pm today.
CHS Waterpolo in Alstonville Pool
 Alstonville played host to the NSW Combined High Schools Boys Waterpolo championships this week.
Sixteen teams from around the state converged on Alstonville pool to play for the honour of being named the state's best.
North Coast was the youngest team to compete with most of their players in year nine at Alstonville High against other regions whose teams were mainly composed of year 11 students.
North Coast finished the preliminary rounds in third position after narrowly going down to the Hunter Valley 3-2. Kees Tonkin (pictured with the ball) was one of the goal-scorers against Hunter Valley.
The finals will be played today between the top eight teams and then the NSW CHS state team named afterwards.
Red Cross Golf Day
 Red Cross fundraising coordinator Damien Condon, Westpac financial planner Peter Warren and Lismore Workers Golf Club president Charlie Johnson at the Lismore Workers Golf Course.
If you're looking for a way to combine sport and helping people then look no further than the Red Cross Corporate Golf Classic.
The Golf Classic will be held at the Lismore Workers Golf Course on Friday, December 14.
Red Cross Northern Region fundraising coordinator Damien Condon says the money raised will stay in the local area, helping Red Cross to continue to provide essential community services.
'The work the Red Cross does in Lismore and the surrounding district would not happen without the support of business and individuals in the area,' Condon said.
The day will be a four player ambrose with a shotgun start. Breakfast will be at 7.30am for an 8.30am tee off and play will finish at about 1.30pm with lunch and presentations taking place after that. It costs $25 to play and you can register by picking up a form from the Lismore Workers Golf Club or by calling the club on 6621 2255.
A Touching Story
The Casino Youth Service Aboriginal Youth Touch Football Team is off to compete in Brisbane this weekend.
The Casino squad is participating in the eighth Annual Sports and Cultural Festival Touch Sports Carnival at White Hill Reserve, Coorparoo, and according to Craig Paulson, the team manager, it will be a very valuable experience.
'This festival enables our Aboriginal youth the opportunity to represent their community and showcase their talent to a national audience,' Paulson said.
Newstead Takes Five
Five wickets to Mark Newstead has put Alstonville in a commanding position to take at least a first innings victory over Brunswick Heads-Byron Bay in the LJ Hooker cricket league.
Newstead managed to take 5-27 from just seven overs, giving the Brunswick-Byron batsmen all sorts of trouble and restricting them to a total of 111 at Hill Park Oval, Wollongbar.
Alstonville wasted no time when it was their turn at the crease and thanks to a solid effort by their top order were 5-108 at stumps, putting them in a strong position to push for the outright victory this weekend.
Lismore Workers look to be about to take their first victory of the season after dismissing Lennox Head for 117 last weekend and then scoring 2-51 in reply.
Ward Ritchie claimed the first Lennox victim, dismissing opener Jack Riddle for a duck, going on to finish the day with figures of 3-33 from 16 overs. Ritchie wasn't the only Workers bowler on line, Les Maguire (4-44) and David Lovett (2-15) each making a significant contribution to getting on top of Lennox.
Workers' top order began a bit shakily, losing 2 wickets for 18, but steadied to be 2-51 at stumps and in a strong position to take a first innings victory.
The Casino Cavaliers will need to go into their first innings with as much aggression as possible after allowing Tintenbar-East Ballina to score 184.
Will Porter (46), Ken Shay (35) and Daniel Elphick (36) were the top performers for Tintenbar-East Ballina, all instrumental in setting Casino a hard target.
Souths and Norths-Goonellabah RSL are locked in a battle of the bowlers at Nesbitt Park.
Souths were 6-27 before Robert Pickford steadied the side and put on 38 to take Soothes total to a respectable 38.
Brian Griffin did most of the damage for Norths-Goonellabah RSL, taking 4-21 from 15, but all the Norths' bowlers' figures were good, Nathan Bonamy picking up 2-7 from 8 overs.
Norths didn't have the day all their own way, Corey Bateman ripping through the top order taking 4-20 from 12. Norths looked to be in trouble at 5-30 but thanks to Nathan Bonamy (20 not out) and David Henderson (18 not out) finished the day at 5-65 and a decent chance of taking the first innings points this weekend.
It was also hard work for the batsmen down at Fripp Oval, Ballina, where the Ballina Bears could only manage 121 against Easts.
Lee Bryant and Matthew Harley each took three wickets for Easts.
Easts also struggled with the bat when it was their turn at the crease, finishing the day at 4-39 and making it anybody's game when they resume this Saturday.
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