Mixed pairs head into final rounds

COMPETITORS in the Ballarat Highlands Bowls Region started their State Championship events last weekend with play in the first two rounds of Mixed Pairs taking place on Sunday at BMS.

In contrast to the previous day’s Pennant cold and windy playing conditions the Championship event was played in sunny warm weather with little wind ensuring bowlers enjoyed a good day’s event.

A total of 32 entries across both the Ballarat and Highlands playing areas competed in the first round which was played in the morning with the 16 winning teams then progressing to the afternoon’s second leg.

“It was a total change today compared with yesterday’s pennant which has made the day quite enjoyable,” said Kyneton Golf’s Adrian Plowman.

“It was noticeable in the afternoon’s game which we played on the top green that the speed of the green quickened and you had to take a bit more grass as the game progressed.”

In the morning round, last year’s mixed pairs championship winners Ben and Leah McArthur were defeated by the Diggers Rest team of Tricia Odgers and Dev Shukla.

The quarter finals will be played on Sunday 15 October from 10am with the winners to go through to play in the afternoon’s semifinals at 1.15pm.

The final is scheduled for Sunday 22 October commencing at 1pm with all mixed pairs championship matches scheduled for BMS.

The winning teams that go through to play in Sunday’s quarter finals are: R Dickinson and J Lindsay form BMS to play D Speechley and D Speechley of Midlands.

J Cameron and A Ingram from Clunes and Webbcona against E Kierce and W Lynch of City Oval and Victoria.

S Braybrook and B Collins from Webbcona verses J Hopper and P Lovell from Webbcona and Sebastopol.

A Draffen and A Van der Ploeg from Ballan competing against T Preston and M Tait from BMS.

– ANTHONY McCABE