Big V, Midlands claim top flags

VICTORIA and Midlands bowling clubs have celebrated premierships in Saturday and Tuesday Pennant Division 1 competitions respectively as the Ballarat Highlands Bowls Region season concludes.

Victoria had dominated the top division all summer and that didn’t stop with a commanding win over BMS by 30 shots – 95 to 65.

The win was set up by Haig Varcoe’s rink 17-shot victory over the top BMS rink skippered by Ryan Bedggood.

The crowd was left to enjoy the entertaining antics from the last rink to conclude the match where skippers Shaun Clark from Victoria and BMS’ David Berry kept everyone amused as they concluded the match with a draw on their rink.

In contrast Tuesday Pennant premiers Midlands ended their home and away season sneaking into the four by overcoming Webbcona.

The team would go on to play some of its best bowls, winning through both the semi-final and preliminary final for the right to play BMS for the flag.

Ultimately, Midlands won all three rinks to record a strong 33-shot victory, 70 to 37.

In the lower Saturday Pennant grades City Oval celebrated their centennial year by winning the Division 2 and 3 grand finals.

In the seconds the Hawks side came from eight shots down in the concluding part of the match to win by the solitary place, 84 shots to 83.

Heath Fumberger’s rink which recorded a 11-shot win to make the decisive difference.

The Club’s Division 3 side had a comfortable nine-shot win over Sebastopol.

Ballan’s Division 4 side enjoyed their second grand final win in consecutive years with a 10-shot win over Victoria helped by strong performances in the rinks skippered by Paul Braybrook and Anne Draffen, hoping the team can celebrate their win by a promotion back into Division 3 next season.

In the other Saturday final played at City Oval, Victoria reversed their fortunes by scoring a 27-shot win with all rinks up in their match against Sebastopol in Division 5.

Division 6 results saw Bungaree have a comfortable win over Waubra for the flag by eight shots.

The strong dominance by the country clubs in this year’s Saturday finals for the lower divisions was reinforced by the Clunes Division 7 side taking out their final with a 21 shot win over Ballarat East.

Buninyong’s 150th year was celebrated by winning the Saturday Division 8 Pennant flag secured through a strong 17-shot win in their rink skippered by Frank Sultana.

The Division 9 grand final played at Buninyong saw a season upset where Daylesford who were the leading team for the summer lose to Beaufort who made the finals in fourth position and found their form at the right time with a 12-shot win for the flag.

Victoria’s Saturday Pennant Division 1 premiership team will go on to play Kyneton Golf who won the Highlands playing area final.

In the Tuesday grand finals Learmonth celebrated their 150th year with a Division 2 grand final premiership over Smeaton aided by a nine-shot win on William Rowe’s rink.

The Division 3 final was a nail biter with the game going right down to the wire and the outcome resting with the final play from the rinks skippered by Roy Broughton of Linton and Francis McGuigan from Victoria.

With the aggregate score of 61 shots to 60 in Linton’s favour, the Victoria rink of McGuigan held a number of close scoring bowls when Linton’s third Glenn Landers set the win up for the country side with his first shot resting in amongst the Victoria bowls.

That meant the game with a draw and the possibility of an extra end needed to be played.

With his final bowl Landers managed to displace the jack moving it back to resting Linton bowls with his own following through and placing the Linton side in a winning position which was not subsequently altered by the skippers.

Division 4 saw the Ballarat North side take the premiership with a 13-shot win over Smeaton.

Ballan’s Division 5 side caused an upset with a strong 44-shot victory over Beaufort who had dominated that division’s competition all season.

Learmonth’s Tuesday Pennant Division 1 premiers will match off against Highland’s Kyneton.

Both top-level region winners will then go onto play in the Champion of State Pennant played at the Moama Bowling Club between 6 and 9 May against 15 regions.

– BY ANTHONY McCABE