Family on a bowling mission

THE Jones family are very supportive when it comes to the sport of bowls.

There were three generations on the greens at the same time recently at the Ballarat Bowls Club – which was a first.

“The youngest member is Oscar, 13, who was asked to fill in one day about five years ago, as the team was very short of players, he was eight at the time and did well for a first timer,” said grandfather of the family.

“Such was his enthusiasm after the game that he joined the club, and as he progressed he was shown the art of bowling and coached by The Diggers Jimmy Waite and Jerry Flapper and other members in the club, but it is not the only sport he plays, he is still keen on cricket and basketball but bowls season he is ready to go out for BMS and do his best.”

Oscar has reached division three, of nine, in the League and he is aiming to reach division one by the season’s end.

The other family members are Oscar’s father Craig, who joined his father Ross, and has been playing for the past eight years. He was also relegated to the third division, this season, along with his Ross.

Then there is grandma, Anne Jones, who mainly played tennis and has a tennis elbow to prove it. She has only been playing bowls for the past three years and is in division six, but for the first time they are all playing at the same venue on the same day.

Ross has been playing for about 30 years and has reached division one and premiers, but this year had to be relegated to third division, saying he should have played better.

“We say that we play for the enjoyment of the game but actually we are all quite competitive,” he said.