Sport
2 March, 2023
Highland Tartan and Dunolly Blue meet again for Tuesday pennant title
It will be a meeting of the two most dominant teams in midweek lawn bowls this season, with Dunolly Blue moving to a decider with Highland Tartan at Avoca on Tuesday thanks to a 59-51 win over Talbot. Dunolly Blue were keen to bounce back after...
It will be a meeting of the two most dominant teams in midweek lawn bowls this season, with Dunolly Blue moving to a decider with Highland Tartan at Avoca on Tuesday thanks to a 59-51 win over Talbot.
Dunolly Blue were keen to bounce back after their loss to Highland Tartan last week, and the minor premiers didn’t disappoint with a professional performance, ensuring that it will be a rematch of 2022.
Margaret Davies took care of Paul Radstock on the first rink, winning 26-15, but Talbot hit back on the second rink, with Robert Jackson giving the Yabbies an avenue back into the game with a 20-14 win over Alan Weir. However, Tony Galofaro was determined to ensure Dunolly Blue would reach the decider, winning 19-16 over Barb Crossley to seal their grand final berth.
It means that Dunolly Blue and Highland Tartan will be meeting for the fourth time this season — and much like their titanic battle for the minor premiership this year, it looks like a game that will go down to the wire, with all three meetings decided by no more than 11 shots.
Back in round one, Highland defeated Dunolly 62-54.
Leanne Wallis defeated Davies 19-17 on the first rink, but Dunolly Blue took the second rink, with Galofaro defeating Jan Turner 21-13. But a dominant 30-16 win from Greg Shay over Heather Freemantle allowed Tartan to take the points.
In round nine, Dunolly turned the tables with a 58-49 win. Freemantle took the first rink over Turner, 20-14, while Shay hit back for Highland with a 24-11 win over Davies. But Galofaro took a 27-11 win over Wallis to ensure Dunolly took the points.
However, Highland Tartan struck a big blow in the semi-final when they were able to take a 61-50 win.
The big difference for Tartan was a dominant second rink victory, with Shay defeating Weir 20-10. The other two rinks were tight, with Wallis defeating Davies 23-20, while Galofaro took two points away with a 20-18 win over Turner.
It’s perhaps fitting to see both teams in the decider, with their dominance reflected in every single stat.
Offensively, both teams have been juggernauts, with Highland ranked first in the competition with 1045 shots, while Dunolly are ranked second with 950 shots for.
Defensively, both are also frugal, with the Tartans conceding just 570 shots, while Dunolly Blue have conceded 583.
It means that Tartan have enjoyed a score differential of 475 for the season, while Dunolly Blue have had a score differential of 367.
That pales in comparison to the next best team, Talbot, who has a score differential of 16.
Both teams dominate the player ladder, with each of the top 10 spots taken by their players. But it’s the team of Galofaro, Sandra Chaplin and Karen Stephens who have dominated throughout the season, enjoying 15 consecutive wins.
Harvey Pearce, Murray Waldron and Shay have been the most dominant from a shot differential point of view, leading the competition with +198, and sit in fourth, fifth and sixth on the player ladder.
FINAL WORD
“Both teams deserve to be here. Quite a few will be bowling on Saturday, but Tuesday pennant is a different atmosphere.
“However, it’s just as competitive and both teams will be anxious to win.” — Alan Muggridge, bowls president, Maryborough Highland Society
“Realistically, we’ve both been dominant in the midweek competition for a number of years now. And while Highland beat us in the semi-final, Tuesday is another day and we absolutely have the ability to be able to win it this time around.” — Chris Williams, president, Dunolly Bowls Club