Humpty rolls to the top

Wilgeheuwel resident Paul “Humpty” Martin capped his 2013 bowls season off in fine style by claiming three trophies at the Randburg Bowls Club AGM held in Boskruin on 31 August 2013.

Martin, who has just completed his second of three years as a novice bowler, beat first team players and a second team player, on his way to finishing as runner up in the club’s handicap singles competition. Along with Mark “C.Y.C” Ryan and Maureen Chance, he was also part of the team that finished as runner up in the club’s mixed trips competition.

His immense improvement earned him the “Most Improved Player of the Year” trophy. Martin puts his good form down to many hours of hard practice and the coaching of the club’s SA senior international squad bowler and new club captain Allan “Allgo” Gordon.

“Much of Allan Gordon’s knowledge is from his experiences on the greens in his 39 years of playing the game and you will not find that in a coaching manual,” said Martin, who is a public relations consultant by profession.

Referring to his nickname of “Humpty”, Martin said that Randburg Club 2nd team captain Glenn “Slider” Macaskill hands out the nicknames to the men and women at the club and named him “Humpty” after the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme.

“I got the nickname Humpty, because of my size and the fact that I used to bowl off balance and dump the bowl by releasing it low enough to the ground. I solved all that but Macaskill refuses to change the nickname,” laughed Martin, who stands at 1.98m tall.

“I would like to thank all the other Randburg Bowls Club members who have supported and encouraged me all the way. When I arrived at the club in October 2011, there were 85 members, and this has grown to over 120 members, thanks to the vision of club President Laurie “Tiny” Stafford and his committee. The club’s greens are rated among the best in the province, so we are able to practice in superb conditions.”

Randburg Bowls Club will have four men’s teams and three women’s teams, plus a mixed pennant side in action in the Johannesburg Bowls Association (JBA) leagues this season, starting at the end of October. The club has re-entered its three women’s teams for league action this season.

“People think you must be 80 years old or more to play bowls, but in the Randburg Bowls Club 1st team, Towers Novice champions Ryan “LS” Smith (16) and his brother, SA junior silver squad member Jason “Ace” Smith (23), are just two of the youngsters who have proved their worth at a high level and I wish the first team well following their promotion to the top league this season,” said Martin.

“Bowls is an enjoyable sport where one meets lots of people and, rather surprisingly, it is also one of the cheaper sports around too,” concluded Martin.