Sports News
 Bowled Over
Pennants Pointers
The first carnival in 2002 will be held at East Lismore Bowling Club from January 26-28.
Play each day commences at 12.30pm and consists of two rounds.
The men's triples on Saturday is sponsored by Summerland Sports, M & T Tyres and Ash Martin Meats.
As this is their first sponsorship of a bowls event in Lismore, a warm welcome is extended to Rick and Pauline Rutter of RetireInvest Lismore who are the sponsors of the mixed triples event on Sunday.
On Monday, men's pairs is the format and this is sponsored by First Pacific Credit Union and Carlton United Breweries. Cost for each day is $7 per player. Team names in to the club on 6621 5098 by January 25 please.
That most wonderful of all seasons, the Pennant Season, is upon us and those of us who have entered our names for selection might do well to reflect upon the following points.
Remember that this is a game with eight women/ 12 men in a side and you must play as a team. Give each other support and encouragement and if someone is having a bad day, it's up to the rest to try extra hard remembering it could be your turn next for the horror day.
Give yourselves a psychological advantage by arriving early and having a team talk, looking good, having a positive attitude, warming up with stretches beforehand and drinking plenty of water before as well as during the game.
Once the game commences, focus and concentration are key factors in success. Ignore noisy players on your own or adjoining rinks, switch off from remarks from players and spectators and when you are not on the mat, use the opportunity to sit quietly and relax for a few moments. There will be many distractions which could turn into real annoyances if you let them and, of course, your game will suffer, so tuning out from them is a skill worth developing.
If you are drawn to play a team with a reputation, look upon it as a challenge, remembering that anyone can win on any day - who doesn't know the story of David and Goliath? Don't let a ditch rink draw affect you - if you have used the opportunity to practise on one it will be to your advantage. Remember also, that each time you play Pennant games, the weather will not be perfect, so play in windy, rainy, cold, hot conditions prior to the competition taking note of how you and your bowls react to these factors and make appropriate adjustments.
If you have items for this column, you can contact me on phone 6624 3154, fax 6624 2932 or email lmawter@lis.net.au or drop things into The Echo at 218 Molesworth St, Lismore. Please have details to me by the Sunday prior to publication if possible.
Until next week,
good bowling.
 Hook and Slices
with Stan Bendall
Putting Things Right
Welcome back to everyone and I hope you all had a top festive season and that 2002 will be even bigger and better. I'm sure all our hearts go out to the marvellous firies who have done such a great job and that our thoughts are with those who have lost so much. What punishment should be given to the fire lighters I find unprintable.
NRDGA
The Northern Rivers District Golf Association annual general meeting will be held at Ballina Golf Club on Sunday, January 13. The executives meet at 8.30am, delegates at 9am for ratification of the 2002 program and election of office bearers. Refreshments afterwards.
The Northern Rivers Directors' Day will be at Mullumbimby on Sunday, February 24.
Ballina
The January medal will be played as a stroke event this Saturday.
The RSL will play an ambrose fours this Sunday.
Greg O'Neill took out the overall trophy in last Wednesday's single stableford. Ric Arnison won A grade from David Wilson while Ron Sewell took out B grade from Ray Wilson and Michael Vlack won A grade from Grant Astley.
Alan Wright took the honours from Peter Gallaway in last Friday's single stableford with Graeme Birney flashing down the outside to take third place.
The popular Summer Cup was played over 36 holes last weekend. Club talent Neil Bullen took the honours in the big event, winning by three shots from Jon Casey. Mathew Hilyard won the net by 5 from Tony Farrell. Michael Dakin won the A grade net. John Bornholt was back in the winners' circle after a long drought, taking out B grade and Julian Beaver played his usual consistent golf to win C grade.
Coraki
A 4BBB stableford event will be contested this Saturday.
On Saturday week a two-person ambrose will be played, sponsored by Schweppes.
The popular annual corn-on-the-cob day was played last Thursday in 40 degree heat and I reckon everyone who finished should have received a free schooner. Tony Melbourne was the overall net winner while Rob Ollerenshaw (Fox Hills) took out the overall gross winner's trophy. Michael Underhill won the A grade net; Phil Gilder won B grade and Michael Stone C grade. Nancy Crotty from Kyogle won the ladies overall net and the talented Anne Jackson (Ballina) won the overall gross trophy.
Lismore greenkeeper Chris Haselden spread his wings last Saturday to take A grade in the single stableford on a countback. Don Cox took out B grade.
Kyogle
There will be a 4BBB stableford this Saturday.
Last Saturday Peter Allen took out the January medal in A grade, winning by 4 from John McNaughton and Frank Marsh won B grade by 2 from Tony Strudders. Balls to 72 countback.
Lismore
A 2BBB stableford will be played this Saturday in conjunction with a single.
The following Saturday there will be a single stableford.
Danny Morton took the honours by 2 from Russell Gill and Brian Deegan in last Thursday's single stableford event. Trevor Smee won the first nine by 1 from John Cupitt and Ray Ross won the second nine by 1 from Brian Pitt. Bill O'Sullivan took out the gross with 3 over par 73 and balls were won with 38 or better.
The January medal was played off the back last Saturday. Terry Beachy recorded a fine 64 to take out A grade on a countback from Steve 'snapper' Williams and Serge Zanuso, who finished third after being away from the course for a while with a crook back. Onya Sergey! Young Northern Rivers rep Rhein Gibson won the gross with a fine par round (70). Peter Moller won B grade with 62, with Brian Johnson and Ray Chilton 2 further back and vets' preso Brian Hayes won the gross with 79. Barry Butler won C grade on a countback from Tony Johnson and Jack Smith, all on 66 with big hitting gentle giant Bill Tyrell winning the gross. Secretary/manager Phil Kelly had his turn at winning the Bradman's, as we all do, and earned a schooner for his efforts. Onya Kel! Balls won with 67 or better.
Phil Lobban won the social club's front nine event last Saturday with 31, from Ray Chilton and Kevin Dyason, both on 33.
Names and money will now be taken for the social golf club's Yamba and Iluka trip on February 23-24.
A golfer turned up on the first last Saturday with his shirt inside-out - seemed to effect his play too! Onya Brian!
The newly completed second green will be playable soon and is looking very good. Job well done!
Mullumbimby
The club will host the Northern Rivers Directors' Day on Sunday, February 24. It should be a great day with nine holes revamped and the course made tougher. Ring the club on 6684 2273 to nominate for this popular event.
Nigel Halpin won the single stableford last Saturday with 44 points.
Woodburn-Evans Head
The annual mid-Richmond Rescue Squad Charity Day will be held this Sunday.
On Saturday, January 19, a single stableford will be conducted.
Frank Riordan took the honours overall and in A grade in the veterans 12 hole single stroke event from Jim Clark.
The consistent Jim Clark went one better last Saturday by taking out A grade in the single stroke with 63. Kurt Irvine won B grade; Bob Dearden C grade and Marina Davey took out the ladies section.
Sid Rolfe took the honours from Merv Cornelius in the RSL social golf club 12 hole stroke event last Sunday.
 What's My Line
with Ian Clark
Is Parking the Ticket?
Well, we are back into the start of another year.
An opportunity to keep you abreast with the issues of the fishing world. To take you on adventures that you too can experience. To bring you the most comprehensive information on where the fish are and how to catch them.
Sounds pretty promising.
Well, that's the new year's resolution we have set for this year. A big task we know, but someone has to do it.
But before we divulge the year's best spots I would like to make mention of a special bloke.
Ned Hampson, of Wyrallah Bush Fire Brigade and a member of my family, gave up Christmas Day, his birthday and a fair few extra days with us and other family to fight fires out west and then in The Blue Mountains.
We are glad to have Ned home safely and send our wishes to all the people caught up in this tragic event. To all the other volunteers who gave and have given their time a genuine thank you.
As we left last year, the news of a marine park being established in our area was proposed.
The Marine Parks Authority (MPA) has extended the public comment period to close of business on January 31, 2002.
Mark Johnston, spokesperson for the MPA claims the decision will try to take into account all relevant groups.
'The final decision on whether to establish a marine park at Byron Bay will take into account the needs of all user groups, conservationists, indigenous people, recreational and commercial fishers and the community,' Johnston said.
If you are a user of these areas I advise you to get a copy of the consultation paper.
You can get a copy from Cape Byron Info Centre, National Parks at Alstonville, NSW Fisheries in Ballina or log onto www.mpa.nsw.gov.au
The first draft is to be published after January 21 this year so it will be interesting to see what they propose.
Obviously if the marine park is declared, zoning arrangements will determine what activities can occur where. My advice is to get in and have your say.
The fishing is pretty good for the number of anglers wetting a line. Up and down the coast has been busier than I can remember, not to mention the number of people using the boat ramps.
What can I say?
But I must admit the number of families fishing is great to see.
Obviously the fishing licence has not put the northerner off from wetting a line.
Unless they are running the gauntlet in which I hope they are caught and fined.
If you want to get away from the madness then catch the ferry over to South Ballina. The beaches are a bit quieter than the main ones but they are also unpatrolled. The walk from the carpark to the beach is a bit longer and demonstrates, as you probably have discovered over the last couple of weeks, how well white sand can absorb the sun's heat.
Overall the area is flourishing with small catches to keep you interested with the better sizes early of a morning.
Muddies are still around in small numbers in the creeks.
Off shore has been a bit hit and miss lately.
Welcome back. We look forward to your continued support throughout the new year.
Until next week,
fun fishing.
Cricket Carnivale
Left: Adam Meads from Bruswick heads bowling for Far North Coast under-12s against Sunshine Coast at McKenzie Park in Lismore last Tuesday.
Centre: Under-12s Far North Coast wicket keeper James Barnes from Lennox Head does his best to imitate the region's most famous wickie. Will he be the newxt Adam Gilchrist?
Above: Ballina Shire under-13s quickie Tom Martin from Alstonville rolls his arm over against Moreton from South Western Queensland.
The Northern Rivers is the hottest place to be this week if you're a junior boy cricketer - and not only because of the weather.
The Lismore Workers Club under 12 carnival is being played on the ovals around Lismore and the annual LJ Hooker under 13 carnival is being contested at grounds throughout the Ballina Shire.
Teams from around NSW and southern Queensland have converged for the cricket carnivale with 16 sides competing in the under 12s and 14 in the under 13s.
Ballina under 13s coach Paul Everingham believes the importance of the carnivals to the young sportsmen cannot be underrated.
'The amount of cricket these kids play in this week improves their cricket immensely. They play more than five games in the week and the more they play the more they improve. They go away better cricketers,' Everingham said.
'Five 50 over a side games is a pretty big amount at this age. It's a very, very well organised carnival with teams competing from as far away as Newcastle and the Hawkesbury in New South Wales and then teams coming from Queensland as well,' he said.
Everingham believes that although it's a tough job playing so many games in the heat for the aspiring baggy green wearers the young players wouldn't have it any other way.
'The kids just love it. They just want to play - the more cricket the better!' he said.
Ballina mayor Peter Moore also endorsed the carnival.
'To see young people so actively involved in one of our country's greatest sports is wonderful. Cricket is certainly the sport to watch during summer. I hope it's a summer of cricket,' Cr Moore said.
If you want to check out the mini Waughs, Warnes and Gilchrists in the Ballina Shire head to Fripp, Saunders or Kingsford Smith Ovals in Ballina or Hill Park in Wollongbar. In Lismore go to the final on Friday at Oakes Oval.
Meanwhile over the Hill...
The Far North Coast under 16 boys team have been performing creditably in the Bradman Foundation Cup Cricket Carnival in Tamworth.
In their pool game against Northern Riverina although Far North Coast lost. Cameron Russell showed he knows how to bat against all sorts of bowling. Russell, coming in at first drop, top scored for Far North Coast with 41.
Far North Coast fared better against Western New South Wales, managing to pull off a draw.
Tom Cooper and Shaun Buckett both bowled well, Cooper taking 2-40 from 15 overs and Buckett 2-20 from 15.
Far North Coast were 9 for 173 at the close of their innings but couldn't take the final wicket to win the match, Western NSW just scraping through for the draw with 9 for 111.
Is it just Cricket?
The South African Cricket Board claimed last week that for their country the issue of affirmative action in sport has to be considered in the wider context of their current social and political situation.
They believe that the makeup of their national cricket team needs to reflect the values that South Africa as a whole now embraces.
Lets just assume that this is correct. What then does the makeup of the Australian men's cricket team say about Australia?
That white males are just naturally better than the rest of Australian society?
Funny how that doesn't seem to be the case in any of the football codes, hockey or athletics.
Racism comes in many forms and it doesn't need to be obvious or overt to be effective.
If a system favours one group over another then it's discriminatory no matter whether it is deliberate or accidental.
John Howard had the audacity to criticise the South African policy and claim that it wasn't fair because players weren't judged purely on merit.
When people don't have equal opportunities from the very beginning then of course they don't have the same chance at excelling at something. As country sportspeople we see this again and again in our representative sporting teams - country sportspeople don't have the same access to elite coaches, selectors, top equipment as do city sportspeople and so it is much more difficult for them to reach the top of their field without moving to the city.
The ideas behind affirmative action are to promote those who haven't had equal opportunities to give them a chance and to provide role models for the young in the hope that it will give them something to aspire to. Helping those with less opportunity to help create a better and fairer society overall, doesn't seem like such a bad idea does it?
We cannot claim to be an egalitarian society while the avenue of playing for our most lauded sporting team is not open to those of all racial and cultural backgrounds. Until our cricket team truly reflects the cultural diversity of our country we have no right to criticise South Africa for implementing a policy that they believe will help to right the wrongs of apartheid.
In the 1930s Don Bradman claimed that Eddie Gilbert was the fastest bowler he'd ever faced. The Australian selectors refused to pick him in the Australian side and sent him back to the mission because he was Aboriginal.
Whilst the current selection process is obviously not as overtly discriminatory the historical ethnocentricity of the Australian men's cricket team could certainly lend itself to criticism of an inherently discriminatory system.
Sounds remarkably like the current government's immigration policy doesn't it? Those who can afford to follow the 'correct' procedure will be treated with respect and those who are in the unfortunate position of not being able to can look after themselves - Australia doesn't want anything to do with them.
Perhaps, now that the issue of discrimination in sport has been put in the public eye, the cricketing community of Australia can take a leading role in correcting the ugly race debate that has soured our country recently.
A fair go for all - isn't that the Australian way?
by Rudi Maxwell
Lennox Save the Best 'til last
'n the LJ Hooker cricket league Norths-Goonellabah RSL look to have adopted the Steve Waugh approach: play hard, show no mercy and go for the win.
In response to Norths tactic at Saunders Oval, Ballina, Lennox Head look to have taken the South African cricket style: begin dreadfully and hope to improve (or, more kindly, save the best 'til last).
Norths bowled Lennox out for just 76 and then declared at 3-84, giving themselves first innings points and essentially daring Lennox to have a go. Lennox got off to a steadier but still shaky start in their second innings and were 3-54 at stumps, needing to copy the last ditch effort of the South Africans in the third test but hoping for a different result next week.
The Casino Cavaliers may well be regretting the decision to send Alstonville in to bat at Hill Park.
Alstonville knocked up 240 runs for just 7 wickets, thanks mainly to captain Greg Potter (80), David Alley (not out for 54) and some loose bowling (sundries 46). Alstonville look well placed to take a first innings victory while Casino now have even more reason to hope for rain.
Tintenbar-East Ballina are on the front foot against Eastern Districts in their match at Nesbitt Park.
Easts elected to bat first but could only manage 80 runs, losing their last four wickets for just 6 runs as the Easts batsmen failed to cope with the bowling by Mark Grant (4-14 from 14.2 overs) and spinner Robert Stone (4-20 from 14 overs).
Lismore Workers will be looking for a Hayden-Langer type opening from Todd Black and David Breckenridge as they attempt to reach the Ballina Bears total of 212 at Nielson Park, East Lismore.
Scott Brown top scored for the Bears with 83 and Workers were 0-2 in reply at stumps.
At Oakes Oval Souths and Marist Brothers are locked in a match where the outcome is as uncertain as the South African test line-up.
Brothers bowled Souths out for 86 runs, Doug Rose being particularly devastating taking 4-19 from 11 overs.
Brothers couldn't match their batting performance to their bowling however and Souths restricted them to 7-62 at stumps with the likely winner of the match much like Goran Ivanisevic's serve: completely unpredictable.
Sports Library for Tabulam
Tabulam kids practising to wear the baggy green.
The kids from Tabulam were 'stoked' with the new sports library provided by the Department of Sport and Recreation.
'Twas the night before Christmas when NSW Sport and Recreation's North Coast Development Officer Teena Reeves handed over $4,000 worth of sports equipment to Tabulam Aboriginal Community on behalf of the Department.
'Like book libraries, sporting libraries contain equipment that can be borrowed by the community,' Reeves said.
'But instead of books, the sports library contains cricket and softball kits, tennis racquets and equipment for AFL, rugby league, soccer and netball - and much, much more. The benefits these libraries will bring to these communities will be invaluable.'
Joan Bell, Coordinator of the Tabulam Local Aboriginal Lands Council, collected her community's equipment with several excited youths in tow. Ms Bell was ecstatic about the sports library.
'I'm so happy I could cry, our kids have got all their Christmases at once,' Bell said.
The aim of the Department in providing a Sports Equipment Library to Aboriginal community organisations is to enable them to actively participate in sport and recreation in areas where Aboriginal people encounter difficulties in accessing programs or services due to isolation or lack of available equipment.
Reeves and Bell have committed to meeting in the New Year to put sports development programs in place using the equipment.
'These programs will assist in skill development, increased physical activity and a healthier and happier lifestyle for the entire community,' Reeves said.
'What better gift could be presented for all those school holidays?'
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