Gippsland Bowls Region 2024/25 midweek champion, Lakes Entrance, was competitive against the state’s best at the Champions of State Pennant tournament at the Moama Bowling Club last week, winning two of its five matches.
The event sees the winners of the 12 Bowls Victoria zones, both city and metropolitan, do battle over two days for ultimate supremacy and the title of the state’s best.
The clubs are divided into two groups and play each other once in a preliminary round, with the sides on top of each respective group playing off for the coveted state title.
Lakes Entrance is seeded in section one with Tallygaroopna, Mt Eliza, Deer Park, City Warrnambool and Warracknabeal.
Section one saw Shepparton Golf, Birchip, Chalambar Golf, Yarraville/Footscray, Traralgon and Wodonga do battle, while in section two, Murray Downs, Bendigo East, Kyneton, Ocean Grove, Wangaratta and Trafalgar are doing battle for their shot at state’s best.
The tournament began last Monday with Lakes successful in one of its three matches.
Lakes started in style, proving too good for Warracknabeal winning 59-33, clean sweeping all three rinks.
Mike McKay, Jim Northe, Jenny and Kevin Dowie led the way with a 21-10 victory, matched by the 20-9 victory of Michael Bratt, Eric Spence, Wallace Mason and Kevin Brown.
Maurice Carroll, Margaret Brandhoj, Bill Rowley and Joanne Martin also got the job done 18-14.
Mt Eliza was a tough proposition in round two, outpointing Lakes Entrance 53-34. McKay, Northe and the Dowies were the only winners, 19-15.
It was a similar result in round three with Tallygaroopna having Lakes’ measure 45-24.
Lakes returned to form on Tuesday, defeating the highly rated Deer Park, 41-34, effectively preventing them from progressing through to the grand final.
McKay, John Hurren, Northe and Kevin Dowie were in superb form, winners 18-6, while Carroll, Brandhoj, Rowley and Martin prevailed late in their rink 15-14.
City Warrnambool was too good for Lakes in the final round, winning 51-30.
Lakes finished fifth in their group, with the grand final won by Tallygaroopna who defeated Kyneton in a thriller, 48-46.
