The competitive Gippsland Bowls Region Superleague again claimed a ladder leader, with Lakes Entrance 1 becoming the latest side to slide after going down to reigning premier Bairnsdale in a thrilling encounter.
Lakes Entrance 1 was victorious in two of three rinks but went down in a contest where momentum fluctuated all afternoon, 56-59.
The outstanding effort of Adam Easton, Geoff Woodward, Trevor Melotte and Brad Montant, winning 23-14,
was enough to get Bairnsdale home.
Lakes Entrance 1 dropped from first to fourth on the table, with Lindenow now occupying top spot, Bairnsdale moving back to third place.
Narrow winners for Lakes 1 were Julie Simpson, Daniel Roberts, Scott Davidson, Daffy Rawlings (22-20) and Tim Anketell, Bill Rowley, Glenn Barker and Kevin Brown (22-20).
Lindenow seized top spot with a four-shot victory over Stratford at home in one of the closest games played this season, with two of the rinks resulting in draws.
It was only the efforts of Cockies Peter Baylis, Raymond Barry, Michael Giddings and Stephen Brill, victorious 23-19, that could split the combatants, Lindenow scrambling home 64-60 in a high-class match.
Lindenow’s Dick Johnstone, Allan Dawson, Phillip Manning and Neil Plunkett drew with Stratford’s June Richardson, Wayne Marsden, Ian Johns and Michael Dee (23-23), as did Donald Banks, Daryl Tong, Lloyd Hammond and Anthony Edwards with Peter Ribolli, Leonie Flynn, Colin Russell and Phillip Crowder (19-19).
Lakes Entrance 2, who returned to form and as a result moved from fifth to second on the ladder, easily eclipsed Sale 2 on the road, 70-37.
Michael Bratt, Johannes Kool, Maurie Carroll and Harley Johnson were in sensational form, putting on a clinic winning 30-9, well supported by Jeff Wilson, Boyd McPhee, Clement and Lillibeth Hochkins, who saluted 24-9.
Neville Ballinger, Ken Wegener, Barry Stewart and Peter Stephenson won their rink for Sale 2, 19-16.
Maffra moved up to seventh, scoring its third win of the season, claiming the scalp of fifth placed Metung, 57-54.
Maffra was only victorious in one rink, but the efforts of Glenn Crawford, Lewis Marston, Michael Roberts and Lester Merlo, dominant winners 24-13, was enough to get them over the line, 57-54 in a tight contest.
Winners for Metung were Chris Wain, Mal Macpherson, Ray Crossley, Ronald McDonald (21-15), and Attila Sofran, Adrian Culph, Frank Ryan and Kieran Casey (20-18).
Metung was left to rue the missed opportunity to push for a place higher up the ladder after some good results in recent weeks.
Last year’s grand finalist, Paynesville, is knocking on the door of the top five after visiting Howitt Park and emerging with a clean sweep, 73-39 winners.
Peter Fiske, Rhys Selleck, Darren Martin and George Lambos led the way, successful 27-8, well supported by Glynis Bugeja, Rhonda Sadovsky, Michael Better, Jack Sharman (27-16) and Greg Maidment, John Clark, Simon Kiss and Mark Challiman (19-15).
Playing at home, Heyfield won its second match of the season, in the process going above the side it defeated, Orbost, on the ladder.
Heyfield was an impressive 76-52 winner, clean sweeping all three rinks in style.
Bill Gilligan, Rod Sherrin, Shane Kelly and Bryan Reid backed up last week’s performance against Paynesville with a 28-17 winning effort.
Mal Collings, Joshua O’Brien, Bert Middlehuis, Shane Holmes (23-19) and Barry Anderson, Peter Ronan, Brendan Fleming and Rohan Kelly (25-16) all having good days for Heyfield.
Sale 1 won its second match of the season, leap-frogging opponent West Sale on the ladder to move up to ninth, winning at Wurruk 66-54.
Winners for Sale 1 were Judith Cahill, Ian Jones, Neal Taylor, Andrew Bell (25-19) and Michael Dowd, Margaret Scenery, Rod Morris and Shane Dove (24-17).
Leno Binotto, Mitchell Bennett, Matt Moulton and Brendan Addison got a rink back for West Sale winning a tight duel, 18-17.
THIS WEEK
Orbost v Howitt Park; Sale 1 v Heyfield; Paynesville v Maffra; Lakes Entrance 2 v Metung; Stratford v West Sale; Bairnsdale v Lindenow; Lakes Entrance 1 v Sale 2.