The ladder in the Gippsland Bowls Region midweek pennant is congested after six rounds, with only nine premiership points splitting the top six sides.
Teams were delighted to get back out on the greens after last week’s washout, with Metung the big movers, now sitting second on the table after jumping from fifth. They trail ladder leader Lakes Entrance on percentage.
Metung made the trip to Stratford and came away 64–50 winners, with the home side dropping from second to fourth on the rankings. Maree Cross, Jeff Elliott, Ronald McDonald and Ray Crossley set up the win with an emphatic 29–12 success, well supported by Leah Cameron, Maurice Carroll, David Roberts and Jack Sharman, who were again to the fore with a 22–12 victory.
Carmel Boyd, Rita Potter, Ross Morton and Michael Dee picked up a rink for Stratford with an impressive 26–13 win.
Reigning premier Lakes Entrance and Sale played a thriller at the Sale Bowling Club, the scores unable to be split after 63 ends, finishing 64–64. Sale collected the majority of the points (eight) and moved to third place on the ladder.
Shane Higgins, Wally Hudson, Margaret Sceney and Dennis Young led the way for Sale, winning 21–13. Peter Stephenson, Raymond Kennedy, Neal Taylor and Rod Morris were 26–24 victors for Sale, but their day was soured after dropping five shots on the final end.
Lakes’ Wallace Mason, Jack Light, Bill Rowley and Kevin Brown looked in trouble early but finished strongly, winning six of the final seven ends in their 27–17 success.
Sixth-placed Maffra stayed in touch, winners on the road against a winless Lindenow, 58–47. Julie Orchard, Lewis Marston, Brett Hodgins and Ron Orchard (19–13), along with John Marshall, Geoff Landy, John Spencer and Annette Anderson (21–13), were winners for the Bowling Eagles.
Megan Brill, Kathy Richards, Brian Vincent and Dick Johnston picked up a confidence-building rink for the Cockies (21–18).
Bairnsdale had the bye and dropped from third to fifth.
NEXT WEEK
Round 8, Tuesday, December 2
Division one: Lakes Entrance v Stratford; Bairnsdale v Sale; Maffra v Metung; Lindenow bye.
Division two east: Bairnsdale Golf v Lakes Entrance 2; Howitt Park v Paynesville; Bairnsdale 2 v Lakes Entrance 3; Orbost v
Bairnsdale 3.
Division two north: Sale 2 v Heyfield; Stratford v Maffra 2; Yarram v West Sale;
Sale 3 bye.
Division three east: Bairnsdale Golf v Howitt Park; Lakes Entrance 5 v Paynesville 2; Bairnsdale 5 v Paynesville 2; Bairnsdale 4 v Lakes Entrance 4.
Division three north: Stratford v Heyfield; Sale 5 v Sale 4; Maffra 4 v Maffra 3;
Yarram bye.
