Gippsland Bowls Region midweek pennant minor premier and defending champion, Lakes Entrance, moved through to the 2024/25 grand final in emphatic style at the Bairnsdale Bowls Club last week.
Lakes Entrance outclassed second ranked Sale 81-40 in an ominous clean sweep, which will see Lakes head into next Tuesday’s grand final at the Bairnsdale as warm favourites.
They will play the winner of the preliminary final clash between Sale and Paynesville.
The Lakes rout was led by Michael Bratt, Eric Spence, Wallace Mason, Kevin Brown (30-12) and Mike McKay, Jim Northe, Jenny and Kevin Dowie (29-9), with Maurice Carroll, Margaret Brandhoj, Bill Rowley and Joanne Martin also solid winners 22-19.
It was Lakes’ 12th consecutive win with the 13 hoodoo possibly the only way it can be beaten.
It was an interesting week in division two bowls, with fourth-ranked Lakes 2 making its way through to this week’s grand final (Tuesday) and second rung Lakes 3 disappointingly going out in straight sets.
Last Tuesday Lakes 3 was clean swept by premiership favourite, Metung 59-44 at the Bairnsdale Bowling Club, while Lakes 2 overcame arch rival, Orbost 58-50.
The rinks were split with Julie Rowe, Bill Gilbert, Charles Lesiw and Samuel Berlingeri scoring the decisive win for Lakes 2, successful 24-13, while Hayden Lancaster, Stan Short, Ruth and Boyd McPhee escaped with a 19-apiece draw.
In Wednesday’s preliminary final at the Howitt Park, Lakes 2 defeated Lakes 3, 56-48, and despite the ladder suggesting they might struggle, they went in confident, having had the wood on their opponent in two previous season meetings.
Dawn Irwin, Stephen Adams, Lynton Rathjen, Peter Howie (18-14) and Rowe, Gilbert, Lesiw and Berlingeri (20-13) winners for a confident Lakes 2.
Lakes 2 will be hoping to continue its winning sequence, which stands at five against Metung in this week’s final at Bairnsdale.
Margaret Simpson, Joseph Hales, David Ramsay and Greg Bertram got a rink back for Lakes 3 winning 21-18.
Lakes Entrance are guaranteed one eastern pennant with two Lakes Entrance sides set to clash in this week’s grand final at Bairnsdale.
Unbeaten premiership favourite Lakes 4 progressed straight through to the big dance after humbling Paynesville 52-24 at Metung.
Dianne Scott, Frank Detering, Heather Todd, John Kimberley (28-11) and Ian Gray, Charlie Abela, Carol and John Hurren (24-11) all in top form heading into this week’s decider.
Lakes 5 was impressive in the elimination final knocking out Bairnsdale 55-25.
The game breaker was the sensational 38-8 win by Netty Smith, Suzanne Light, Rhonda O’Neill and Denis Olivia, while Robyn Auscote, Margo Short, Sandra Hudson and Ernie Smith split their rink 17-apiece.
Backing up on Wednesday with a couple of personnel changes, Lakes 5 overcame Paynesville 41-23.
Auscote, Margo Short, Hudson, Ernie Smith (23-8), joined as winners by Netty Smith, Suzanne Light, Roy Roberts and Ross Irvine.
