Bairnsdale is the first side through to the inaugural Gippsland Bowls Region (GBR) Superleague grand final after comprehensively defeating Paynesville at the Metung Bowling Club last Saturday.
Bairnsdale led from start to finish, winning two of the three rinks in its 67-49 victory before a healthy crowd in the seaside hamlet.
Geoff Woodward, Stewart Pyers, Trevor Melotte and Neil Watts were impressive winners, 27-11, as was the effort of Joshua Foster, Wayne Jones, Brad Montant and Jarrad Sergi who saluted 23-13.
Ivan Thompson, Darren Aurisch, Ricky Young and Mark Challman were winners for Paynesville 25-17, who will need to regroup quickly ahead of a cut-throat preliminary final against an emerging Lindenow.
Paynesville will be happy to welcome back Joanne and Darren Martin who missed the match due toa a family wedding in India.
The Cockies made their way in the last three with a spectacular dismantling of West Sale, 80-48.
Lindenow again played with amazing self-belief and camaraderie, which is certainly holding it in great stead throughout this finals campaign.
Peter Baylis, Nigel Plunkett, Michael Better and Jack Sharman showed why they are currently rated the competition’s best four, humbling Wayne Morris’ rink 36-4.
Dick Johnston, Lloyd Hammond, Raymond Barry and Stephen Brill etched out a solid 25-19 win, with Rowan Wallace, Stephen McKay, Nathan Stewart and David Hogan pulling a rink back for West Sale, 25-19.
DIVISION TWO
It was a busy weekend of bowls in the lower division with semi finals on Saturday and preliminary final action last Sunday.
In division two Bairnsdale progressed straight through to the grand final after scoring a thrilling two-shot victory over Lakes Entrance 3, 50-48.
Winners for Bairnsdale were Colleen Smith, Martin Sroczynski, James Clay, John Nash (16-15), Rowan Holloway, Eddy Selwyn, Trevor Selwyn and Barry Lake (18-14).
Lynton Rathjen, Christine Buntine, Samuel Berlingeri and Bob Lucas continued their outstanding recent form for Lakes, winning 19-16.
Lakes Entrance 4 set up an all Lakes preliminary final when it defeated Paynesville by 13 shots in the elimination final, despite only winning one rink.
The effort of Stephen Adams, Bill Gilbert, Geoffrey Rawlings and Greg Bertram to win 31-12 was enough to get their side over the line and progress.
Gary Williams, Bradley King, Allen Schwennesen, Peter Fiske (18-15), Roger Fraser, Martin Bugeja, Ken Perkins and John Budge (20-17) were all winners for Paynesville.
In the preliminary final, Lakes 3 scored a hard-fought 12-shot victory, 66-54, over Lakes Entrance 4 at Lindenow, to earn another crack at Bairnsdale.
Rathjen, Buntine, Berlingeri and Lucas were pivotal in the victory 34-15 with the other two rinks going the way of Lakes 4, Stephen Adams, Bill Gilbert, Geoffrey Rawlings, Greg Bertram (20-15), Max Towan, Victor Timpano, Charlie Abela and David Ramsay (19-17).
DIVISION THREE
Lakes Entrance won straight through to the finale with an impressive nine-shot win over a persistent Paynesville 48-39.
Leslie Gersbach, Michael Buttifant, Christine Piatek and Geoff Webb leading the way 28-21 winners, well supported by Jeannette Rowley, John Kimberley, Len and Gail Balcam who were victorious 20-18.
Bairnsdale Golf and Metung had a great battle in the elimination final, Golf prevailing late to win 42-37.
The rinks were shared, Paul Sampson, Janet Dodson, Patricia Elliott and Angela Boyd winners for Bairnsdale Golf 29-12, while Ian Williams, Ann Burgess, John Roelofs and Christine Elliott led the way for Metung, winners 25-13.
Paynesville progressed through to the big dance on Sunday, winning the preliminary final by eight shots, 41-33.
The difference between the two sides was the victory of David Seabourne, Gary Stewart, David McGrath and Ron Elton 22-14.
The other rink ended in a 19-all draw between Paynesville’s Wilma Fowden, Ray Holland, Kevin Savage and Peter Huntly, and Golf’s Joy Ryan, Lois Moselle, Bev and Eric Yeates.
DIVISION FOUR
Bairnsdale Golf progressed straight through to the grand final after defeating Lakes Entrance in a nail-biting finish last Saturday, 39-36.
In a match that could have gone either way, Margaret Short, Susanne Light, Ernie Smith and Gary Lewis were winners for Lakes 22-15, but the efforts of Golf’s John Beanland, Frank Barrow, Alan Taylor and Stephen Beggs to win 24-14 proved the difference.
Bairnsdale proved too good for Lindenow in the preliminary final, winning easily 45-30.
Winners were Dianne Williams, Richard Hill, Ray Robinson, Stephen Leigh (20-16), Kaye Challinor, Graeme Bromwich, Graeme Andrews and James Dunn (25-14).
Lakes was too good on Sunday in the preliminary final, winners 51-37 over Bairnsdale, Short, Light, Smith and Lewis escaping with a tie (23-23) with Bairnsdale’s Challinor, Bromwich, Andrews and Dunn. Angelo Alonso, Roy Roberts, Margaret Simpson and Dennis Olivia were to the fore for Lakes, comprehensive victors 28-14 to seal victory and a spot in the grand final.
THIS WEEK
GBR Superleague preliminary final at Sale Bowling Club
Paynesville v Lindenow
GBR Eastern division grand finals at the Bairnsdale Bowling Club
Division two: Bairnsdale v Lakes Entrance 3.
Division three: Lakes Entrance v Paynesville.
Division four: Bairnsdale Golf v Lakes Entrance.
