Sport
22 February, 2024
Thrilling weekend of Saturday pennant finals
A dramatic weekend of lawn bowls was highlighted by an spectacular semi-final between Dunolly Blue and Highland Tartan, which needed extra ends to decide the game. DIVISION ONE A thrilling grand final qualifier saw Highland Tartan come from the...
A dramatic weekend of lawn bowls was highlighted by an spectacular semi-final between Dunolly Blue and Highland Tartan, which needed extra ends to decide the game.
DIVISION ONE
A thrilling grand final qualifier saw Highland Tartan come from the clouds to pinch a victory that seemed in Dunolly Blue’s safekeeping.
A big comeback in the second half of the match saw Highland Tartan recover from a 10-shot deficit to tie the game at the end of the 63rd end.
Dunolly Blue took two of the ends in regulation, with Peter Waters defeating Greg Shay 25-15 and Tony Galofaro defeating Garry Coburn 20-18. But Michael Fryar’s 24-12 win over Barry Mortlock helped Highland Tartan get back into the game.
With a tie-break needed, the results were a complete reversal.
Shay scored one shot, while Coburn scored three. Dunolly Blue needed five shots as a result from Mortlock to progress to the grand final, but managed three.
It was an epic encounter fitting of a grand final, and Dunolly Blue will now have to bounce back this weekend if they are to set up a rematch with the reigning premiers.
They will be facing Talbot Gold, who were able to take a more straightforward 68-56 victory over Avoca Red to keep their season alive.
Peter McLaughlan defeated Daniel Giddings 24-15 and Peter Fletcher took care of Ian Proctor 29-14. While Noel Parratt took a 27-15 win over Paul Radstock, it wasn’t enough to bridge the gap.
Incredibly, Saturday’s game, to be played at the Highland Society, is the first meeting between the two teams since round one.
A lot has happened between that mid-October weekend and now, but it was Dunolly Blue who made the ideal start to what’s been a great campaign with a hard-fought 66-55 victory.
To outline what looks set to be a game which is likely to go down to the wire, however, all three rinks in that game were decided by seven shots or less, with Galofaro defeating Peter Fletcher 24-17 and Gregory Dobbin defeating Radstock 20-15. McLaughlan’s 23-22 win over Waters on that occasion gave Talbot Gold two points back.
DIVISION TWO
Highland Red are hot favourites for the division two premiership after a comfortable victory over Talbot Brown to earn the week off.
Highland Red took two of the rinks on offer in their 69-53 success, with Tony Lacey defeating Barb Crossley 27-11 and Lawrence Barry defeating Steven Murray 24-19. Talbot Brown were able to gain two points back thanks to Darren McCleary’s 23-18 win over Albert Spencer, but it was Highland Red’s day.
Talbot Brown will now have to regroup for the preliminary final, where they will face Carisbrook fresh off a comfortable 68-49 win over Maryborough Golf Gold to keep their season alive.
Ron Baker set the tone with a 30-9 win over Trevor Young, while Ross Gregory took an equally comfortable 23-10 win over John Scott. Stephen McMasters gave Golf Gold two points with a 30-15 win, but it was the end of the road for their 2023-24 campaign.
It means that it will be the third meeting of the season for Talbot Brown and Carisbrook, with the season series split at one apiece.
Carisbrook took a 61-53 win in round seven, but Talbot Brown took a win back in the final round of the season in a result which decided their top two status, winning 65-62.
