A massive win at home has seen reigning premier, Lakes Entrance, re-establish a one-game buffer on top of the Gippsland Bowls Region midweek pennant ladder after seven rounds.
Lakes outclassed the winless Lindenow, 70-35, in a one-sided clean sweep last Tuesday.
Things remain tight on the table, apart from Lakes, with just seven points separating second-placed Metung and seventh-placed Sale, who dramatically dropped from third courtesy of the bye.
Lakes’ biggest winners were Mike McKay, Jenny Dowie, Jim Northe and Kevin Dowie, 28-10, finishing with a bang, picking up six shots on the final end.
Wallace Mason, Jack Light, Bill Rowley, Kevin Brown (21-11) and Eric Spence, Margaret Brandhoj, Sharon Hall and Joanne Martin (21-14) also made light work of the opposition.
Bairnsdale moved from sixth to third with a brave win against Metung, who remain second despite the loss.
Bairnsdale returned 61-57 winners, despite just winning one rink.
Glynis Bugeja, Peter Baylis, Geoff Aitken and Neil Watts were the influencing factor for Bairnsdale, dominant winners 33-14, including five shots on the final two ends.
Metung’s winners included Maree Cross, Clint Overton, Ronald McDonald and Ray Crossley (19-17) and Leah Cameron, Maurice Carroll, Jeff Elliott and Jack Sharman (24-11), though both foursomes will rue losing the vital final end to Bairnsdale in a nail-biting finale.
In the final match, Maffra moved from sixth to fourth with a thrilling 58-57 victory at home over Stratford, who dropped from third to fifth.
The Bowling Eagles’ only rink win was from Grant Smith, Joshua O’Brien, Keryn Awty and Craig Anderson, 29-12, which was enough to see it home, the combination picking up five unanswered shots in the final three rinks.
Stratford’s Lucia Dalli, Anne Renehan, Jason White and Ian Johns were winners 23-16, fighting back to claim a shot on the final end after giving up six on the 20th end.
The other winning combination for Stratford was Janelle Abraham, June Richardson, Wayne Marsden and Kirstie White (22-13), though they would have been disappointed to concede a vital shot on the final rink.
NEXT WEEK
Round 9, Tuesday, December 9
Division one: Sale v Lindenow; Metung v Lakes Entrance; Bairnsdale v Maffra; Stratford bye.
Division two east: Lakes Entrance 2 v Lakes Entrance 3; Paynesville v Bairnsdale 2; Bairnsdale 3 v Bairnsdale Golf; Howitt Park v Orbost.
Division two north: Heyfield v Sale 3; West Sale v Sale 2; Stratford v Yarram; Maffra bye.
Division three east: Howitt Park v Paynesville 3; Paynesville 2 v Bairnsdale 5; Lakes Entrance 4 v Bairnsdale Golf; Lakes Entrance 5 v Bairnsdale 4.
Division three north: Heyfield v Maffra 3; Sale 4 v Maffra 4; Sale 5 v Yarram; Stratford bye.
