Rain played havoc with Gippsland Bowls Region weekend pennant, but remarkably some matches were played after rain caused flooding to greens and surrounds.
Two matches were completed in Premier League, including the match at the Sale Bowls Club where top side Sale did battle with the third-ranked Bairnsdale.
In a thrilling encounter, the home side got the better of the late ends, winners 53-50, despite claiming just a solitary rink.
That rink was won by Michael Dowd, Wally Hudson, Shane Dove, Jason Wholohan, 23-14, which included picking up a vital eight shots on the final three ends.
The rink between Bairnsdale’s Colleen Smith, Geoff Woodward, Trevor Melotte and Dennis O’Keefe, and Sale’s Peter Nikitin, Neal Taylor, Dennis Young and Andrew Bell was all tied up as the final end started.
The Bairnsdale combination defied a three-end losing streak, to pick up two shots and the match (16-14), in the process inflicting the Sale quartet first defeat in the opening seven rounds.
The other was won by Bairnsdale’s Brad Montant, Christopher Mackintosh, Adam Easton and Ayla Romanin, 20-16, but they will rue conceding five shots in the final three ends.
Bairnsdale remains in third place on the ladder behind Sale and Lakes Entrance.
In the other completed match Maffra was an easy winner over neighbours Stratford at the Stratford Bowling Club, 72-56.
The win propelled the Bowling Eagles two places up the ladder, to fifth.
Grant Smith, Glenn Crawford, Lyal Roberts and Michael Roberts impressed for Maffra winning 26-11, which didn’t look likely at 9-9.
Teammates Julie Orchard, Geoff Landy, Brett Hodgins and Ron Orchard, held on to win 25-22, despite conceding five on the final end and 10 shots over the final five ends.
Stratford’s Jody Corrigan, Ross Morton, Scott Manson and Ian Johns held on to win 23-21 after it looked a formality at 21-7.
The Maffra combination won seven of the last nine ends to almost pull off a remarkable comeback.
Metung and Lakes Entrance shared the points, as did Paynesville and Lindenow.
THIS WEEK
Round 8, Saturday December 6
Premier: Metung v Sale; Maffra v Lindenow; Lakes Entrance v Paynesville; Bairnsdale v Stratford.
Division one east: Bairnsdale 2 v Lakes Entrance 2; Lakes Entrance 3 v Howitt Park; Orbost v Bairnsdale 3.
Division one north: Heyfield v West Sale; Sale 3 v Sale 2; Stratford v Maffra.
Division two east: Lindenow v Paynesville; Bairnsdale v Howitt Park; Bruthen v Lakes Entrance 4; Lakes Entrance 5 v Bairnsdale Golf.
Division two north: Heyfield v Sale 4; Sale 5 v Yarram; Stratford v West Sale; Maffra 3 bye.
Division three east: Metung v Lindenow; Bairnsdale 5 v Bairnsdale 6; Paynesville v Lakes Entrance; Howitt Park v Bairnsdale Golf.
Division three north: Maffra v Rosedale; Loch Sport v Sale 6;
Stratford v Yarram; Sale 7 v Heyfield.
Division four east: Tambo Valley v Orbost; Bairnsdale 8 v Paynesville; Bairnsdale 7 v Bairnsdale Golf; Bruthen bye.
