With only four rounds remaining in the Gippsland Bowls Region Superleague competition, the jockeying for finals spots continues to intensify.
Only 11 points separate the second and eighth-placed sides, with defending champion Bairnsdale a runaway leader at the head of the competition.
Defeats to Lakes Entrance 2 and Maffra in last Saturday’s round 10 action saw them replaced in the all important top five by Lakes Entrance 1 and Sale 1.
With plenty to play for Maffra took the match right up to Bairnsdale at the Bairnsdale Bowling Club, with the overall scores close throughout the afternoon, but it was the home side that had all the answers late, winning 60-53.
James Clay, Adam Easton, James McCausland and Neil Watts were again in great form for Bairnsdale winners 27-20, while Brian Casey, Peter Rowe, Danny Prazza and Stephen Sroczynski got on a roll after a tight start to win impressively 21-7.
Glenn Crawford, Lewis Marston, Michael and Lyal Roberts struck back securing a rink for Maffra comprehensively 26-12.
Lindenow moved up to second place on the table with a 70-57 victory at home over Howitt Park, which was competitive despite chasing its first victory of the season.
Lindenow was delighted to turn its form around after a poor showing last week against Heyfield.
Peter Baylis, Alan Pincott, Michael Giddings and Raymond Barry bounced back strongly, dominating their rink 34-14.
Donald Banks, Brian Vincent, Brian Peacock and Lloyd Hammond hung on grimly late to win 23-22, while the other rink went the way of the Parkers, Robbie Rowe junior, Jim Shanahan, Heather and Bill Cornwall 21-13.
Lakes Entrance 1 was the big mover, moving into the top five now occupying third spot, knocking off last season’s grand finalist Paynesville 56-42.
Stephen Smith, Daniel Roberts, Bill Rowley and Kevin Brown again led the way for Lakes 1 continuing a rich vein of from, this week winners 18-13.
Their efforts complemented that of Eric Spence, Margaret Brandhoj, Jo Martin and Bracken Edwards who crushed Paynesville’s Peter Fiske, Martin Bugeja, Darren Martin and George Lambos, 26-11.
It was interesting to see in that match local bowls couple, Darren and Jo Martin, going head-to-head at three, with Jo confirming what Darren has always said: she’s the best player in their household.
The third rink went the way of Paynesville’s Glynis Bugeja, Rhonda Sadovsky, Michael Better and Jack Sharman 18-12.
Metung and Orbost drew 64-64 at Metung Bowling Club, though
the Green Machine can take some consolation banking eight points while Metung went away with just six.
The big picture is brighter for Metung occupying fourth spot on the table, while Orbost remains in 11th.
Rink winners for Orbost were Geoff Lynn, Maurice Frank, Peter Coulton, Geoff Robinson (25-20) and Adrian Culph, Bruce Kneebone, Karen Chenney and Geoff Aitken (31-11).
Mark Peters, Kevin Watson, David Roberts and Wayne Jones were victorious on the other rink for Metung, 28-13.
There was no happier man in East Gippsland on Saturday night than Jones, claiming the scalp of former premiership teammate Bradley Lancaster.
Sale 1 held off Sale 2 in the local derby, 60-56, Sale 1’s effort sufficient to see it take fifth spot while denying Sale 2 a much-needed initial season victory.
The rinks were halved, Andrew Bell, Neal Taylor, Wal Hudson and Peter Nikitin, 22-16 victors for Sale 1, while Danny Chisholm, Peter Epplestun, Keith Pritchard and Barry Stewart were winners for Sale 2, 20-18.
The other rink was drawn (20-20) by Michael Dowd, Margaret Sceney, Rod Morris, Shane Dove and Judith Cahill, Ken Wegener, Bruce Melrose and Peter Stephenson.
Lakes 2 dropped from a season high second on the table last week to out of the top five, now sitting sixth, after an agonising loss against an unpredictable Stratford on its home green.
Stratford got over the line 59-56, with the rinks split in an encounter which went right to the wire.
Peter Ribollo, Michael Dee, Philip Crowder and Leone Flynn scored the decisive victory (19-12) for Stratford, with Mike McKay, Wallace Mason, Jim Northe and Glenn Barker victors for Lakes 2, 21-17.
Lakes 2’s Michael Bratt, Maurice Carroll, Johannes Kool and Harley Johnson, for the second week in a row played a draw (23-23), this time with Stratford’s Anne Renehan, Ross Morton, Ian Johns and Jason White.
In the final match, West Sale was too good for Heyfield at home, winning 79-59.
Nathan Stewart, Matthew Moulton, Russell Lambourn and Brendan Addison were in great touch, easily winning 34-11 for West Sale, while teammates Albert Potter, Tim Graham, Nick Wilson and Dennis O’Keefe did their best work late, saluting 25-23.
Mal Collings, Joshua O’Brien, Bert Middlehuis and Shane Holmes got a rink back for the Bowling Roos, 25-20.
THIS WEEK
Orbost v Paynesville; Metung v Sale; Sale 2 v Stratford; Howitt Park v West Sale; Maffra v Lindenow; Lakes Entrance 2 v Bairnsdale; Lakes Entrance 1 v Heyfield.
