Gippsland Bowls Region (GBR) midweek pennant conference grand finals were played last week, highlighted by the Paynesville Bowling Club claiming two pennants.
Paynesville was successful in the division two and division three eastern conference deciders, played at the Metung Bowling Club.
In the northern conference, Sale 2 won division two and Maffra 4 claimed division three honours at the Maffra Bowling Club.
The GBR midweek pennant season will conclude on Tuesday, March 3, at the Heyfield Bowling Club with three grand finals, headlined by the division one decider between Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance.
Lakes Entrance earned the right to defend its 2025 title after edging Sale by a single shot in a thrilling final, 58–57, winning two of the three rinks.
Victory was sealed on the final end when Wallace Mason, Jack Light, Bill Rowley and Kevin Brown (21–17) picked up two shots to snatch the overall result in a contest where momentum see-sawed over the final 30 minutes.
Wally Hudson, Bruce Melrose, Margaret Sceney and Shane Higgins were outstanding for Sale, winning their rink 29–20.
Eric Spence, Sharon Hall, Margaret Brandhj and Joanne Martin also claimed a 17–11 win despite conceding three crucial shots over the final two ends.
Paynesville completed a clean sweep in division two east, defeating Bairnsdale 2, 75–46, in a result that was never in doubt.
Rink winners for Paynesville were Joe Cilauro, Cheryl Romanin, Jenny Easton and Margery Nathan (27–18); Phillip Shallies, Jennifer Woolard, Richard Hoodless and Alan Schwennesen (25–13); and Kevin Savage, Keith Taylor, Dennis Moroney and Peter Hardy (23–15).
Their grand final opponent will be Sale 2, which accounted for minor premier Yarram, 63–41.
Sale 2 had been beaten by Yarram twice in preliminary matches this season and was delighted to turn the tables in the game that mattered.
Pam Griffiths, Robert Jones, Peter Epplstun and Leon Woods (28–9) were in sensational form for Sale 2, well supported by Robyn Jones, Ian Kendell, Joan Camm and Denis Madeley, who won 18–14.
Nick Scarlett, Graeme Sullivan, Allan Watts and Michael Morgan battled hard to secure a late rink for Yarram, 18–17.
Paynesville 2 lived up to its strong home-and-away form, where it suffered just one defeat, edging Bairnsdale 4 in a tight division three eastern final, 40–35.
The 21–15 win to Frances McGrath, Sandra McDonald, Patricia Holland and David McGrath proved pivotal in securing the result for Paynesville 2.
The other rink went down to the wire, with Bairnsdale 4s
Rhonda Kerr, Jean Claridge, James Dunn and Stephen Leigh prevailing 20–19.
Support was divided at the Maffra Bowling Club for the division three north decider between Maffra 4 and Maffra 5.
In the end, minor premier Maffra 4 recorded a convincing 52–28 victory, with Maryanne Fitt, Joy Waddell, Mandy Pemberton and John Waddell (26–12), and John Fischer, Sue Wain, David
Crutchfield and Brian Wain (26–16) leading the way.
GIPPSLAND BOWLS REGION (Grand Finals)
at Heyfield Bowling Club, Tuesday, March 3
Division one: Bairnsdale v Lakes Entrance.
Division two: Sale 2 v Paynesville.
Division three: Maffra 4 v Paynesville 2.
