🏆 Sport

Sports reports: Late decision to race pays off for Scott Angus

Plus the latest in Lower Murray lawn bowls, Murray Bridge golf and rifle shooting, and Murray Towns cricket.

Contributed

Nov 1, 2023 — 6 min read

This post includes contributions from MMS Media, Derek Vanderzon, Michael Potts and Daniel Irvine.

Scott Angus celebrates winning Saturday night’s South Australia v Victoria Modified Sedans Challenge at Murray Bridge Speedway. Photo: Picko’s Photos.

Late decision to race pays off for Scott Angus

The latest event at Murray Bridge Speedway featured round two of the track championships, with the main event being the South Australia v Victoria Modified Sedan Challenge.

Throughout the night, the modified sedans failed to disappoint, but it was the visitors who dominated, winning all three heats and the final as Scott Angus defeated good mate Cameron Dyke, with Corey Richter the best of the locals in third.

“It was a late decision to come and race this weekend,” Angus said.

“Cameron rang me up on Wednesday and said ‘let’s go on a road trip’, and now I’m glad we came.”

After starting from the pole, Tyson Martin completely dominated the wingless sprints final as he led all 20 laps to finish ahead of Ryan Alexander, who was unable to capitalise on several late restarts.

Jack McCarthy was able to finish third ahead of Bronson Mauro and Matthew Tyler, who managed to finish inside the top five after transferring from the B-main.

The formula 500s contested round two of their SA State Series with 11 cars in the pit area, including four from Victoria.

After starting on the pole, the 20-lap feature ended with an all-the-way win for Whyalla racer Angelo Karoussis, by more than 2.6 seconds over Jordan Mansell and Victorian Dylan Anton.

In the remaining classes, Victorian Justin Richardson defeated Jake Armstrong and Kent Davey in the AMCA nationals, while Renee Pfeiler was an easy winner over Kym Simon and Nathan Johns in the V6 sprints.

All three home sides win in Lower Murray bowls

Lower Murray bowlers have again been subjected to blustery conditions at all venues, with the home sides winning in all division one matches on Saturday.

At Jervois the home side reversed last week’s late fade-out, dominating the final ends on each rink to win by 14 shots overall after the scores had been tight throughout.

Trevor Mann, Graham Fromm, Graham Schenke and Neil Morris were out of the blocks well and led 9-2 before Merv Stevens, Kylie Slattery, Con Jones and Bevan Jaensch recovered to trail by just one at the break.

Six singles in a row to either side followed before Mann finally broke free with a three to create some space.

He went on to win the last five ends and the match, comfortably, 20-10.

Rodger Zarantonello, Daryl Little, Steve Kroehn and Bob Solley struggled to shake off Travis Schenke, Stuart Rooke, Kevin McDonald and Matt Hogan until a five on the 18th gave them a seven-shot lead.

A four to Schenke on the penultimate end gave them a sniff, but a single to Zarantonello on the last secured a three-shot win, 21-18.

Shawn Hicks, Derek Vanderzon, Graeme Herbert and Len Gommers found the going tough against Rob Hales, Colin Baxter, Ian Shepherd and Glenda Shepherd, but a late rally allowed them to snatch a single-shot win, 19-18.

The visitors dominated through the middle stages to lead by nine shots, but Hicks won the final six ends, with a two on the last edging them into the lead at the right time.

At Karoonda a 16-shot win by Ian Symonds, Gary Zadow, Malcolm McKenzie and Malcolm Waechter over Darren McIntosh, Brian Leckie, Brian Traeger and Michael Ferris paved the way for their 11-shot win over Murray Bridge, 65-54.

McIntosh started well with three of the first four ends, and was only three down at the break, but Symonds conceded just one end of the final 10 to prevail 26-11.

Josh Porker, Shaun Woods, Erin O’Malley and Bill Cornish started well before seemingly losing control of their match against Ben Traeger, Paul Smart, Peter Shilton and Andrew Meddle.

An early six-shot lead was turned into a seven-shot deficit when Traeger picked up a three on the 17th, having picked up a four two ends earlier; but Porker rallied with two, two, one and three to win by the barest of margins, 23-22.

Bruce Attrill, David Kempe, Mark Callery and Tony Gill banked two points for the visitors with a six-shot win over Rowan Zadow, Garry Mason, Robyn Burdett and John Wegner, 21-15.

They were never threatened, leading by as much as 17 shots after 13 ends, but would be disappointed that the 11 shots that were whittled off their lead equated to their club’s overall losing margin.

In the final match, Mannum collected the maximum 12 points against RSL in a 77-53 win.

Graham Edwards prepares to nail a putt on the 15th green at Murray Bridge Golf Club. Photo: Michael Potts.

Graham Edwards stuns with a round for the ages

Indefatigable and larger-than-life Murray Bridge Golf Club super veteran Graham Edwards has certainly pulled one out of the bag in winning Saturday’s par competition.

The ageless 80-something-year-old scored a remarkable seven consecutive wins on the back nine – has this ever been done before? – on his way to an overall score of five-up for the round.

Playing partner Bill Fisher was dumbstruck and speechless, and that was really saying something, such was Edwards’ command of his game during his hot run from the 11th through to the 17th hole.

How did he do it?

Well, take him aside the next time you see him, ask and you will get a modest blow by blow description of how great driving, chipping and putting is done.

How does that ad on the radio go – Graham Edwards, go, go, Graham Edwards?

Comeback king Wayne Duthie was back in town and playing good golf; he won the A grade with a fine one-up from Ned Kelly lookalike Damian Dolman, who shot a -1.

Rod Thoman almost derailed Edwards’ party by getting close to him with his brilliant +4 but had to instead settle for the B grade win.

In the C grade, up-and-coming junior Isaiah Durham thumbed his nose at the blustery conditions to register a very good +1 and edge out Khian Rigney-Smith on a countback.

Edwards won the best back nine pro comp with his amazing +6, while cool-as-a-cucumber A-grader Paul Harding snared the jackpot yabby on the 14th, worth $100, with a typically sweet strike.

Gordon Harrison gets up from his second round of rifle shooting on Saturday. Photo: Daniel Irvine.

Murray Bridge shooters compete against Mount Barker

Shooters have contested the first round of the Number Two District Rifle Association’s championship, shot from 500 and 600 metres at the Deed Range at Monarto on Saturday.

Conditions were challenging to say the least, with strong to fresh winds of up to 42 kilometres per hour blowing almost down range and moving from left to right with subtlety.

Gordon Harrison led the strong F-standard field of shooters with a score of 108.04 for the day, two points ahead of Ali Hansen and well ahead of the rest, to claim the win in A grade.