The Gippsland Bowls Region midweek pennant finals got underway last week.
Superleague minor premier and defending champion, Lakes Entrance, moved through to the 2024/25 grand final in emphatic style at Bairnsdale Bowls Club.
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.
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-win hoodoo possibly the only way it can be beaten. In the elimination final Paynesville beat Stratford by a shot (63-62) in a cracking match, which went right to the wire.
Bairnsdale will play the winner of this week’s preliminary final clash between Sale and Paynesville.
Stratford’s June Richardson, Des Phillips, Kirstie White and Jan Morton were the match’s easiest winners 29-24.
But wins by Paynesville’s Glynis Bugeja, Ken Perkins, Alan Schwennesen, Peter Hardy (18-15), and David McGrath, Phillip Shallies, Keith Taylor and John Budge (21-18) swung the match back the other way, but only just.
DIVISION TWO
Fourth-ranked Lakes 2 made its way through to this week’s grand final at the Bairnsdale Bowling Club, where they will face the competition’s dominant side, Metung.
Last Tuesday Metung moved straight through to final with a clean sweep over Lakes 3, winning 59-44.
Winners for Metung were Leah Cameron, Mark Peters, Clint Overton, Attila Sofran (18-12), Andrea Brown, Adrian Culph, Ron McDonald, Kieran Casey (22-16) and Maree Cross, Chris Wain, David Roberts and Ray Crossley (19-16).
Lakes 2 overcame arch rival Orbost 58-50 in the elimination final.
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 against the Green Machine’s Lynette O’Brien, Lynette Broerson, Bruce Kneebone and Gwen Hatcher.
Beryl Dyce, Des Edwards, Maurice Frank and Ron Hatcher were successful on the other rink for Orbost 18-15.
In last Wednesday’s preliminary final at 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.
DIVISION THREE
Lakes Entrance is 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) are 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, with Bairnsdale’s Jean Claridge, Pat Bourke, Russell Buck and Stephen Leigh.
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.
