Season defining last bowl

Bill West

One bowl to come, and Gisborne bowlers were seemingly poised to leap into the all-important second place on the Highlands division one ladder on Saturday.-

Unruffled Lancefield club champion Aaron Young took his time, and sent down aperfectly weighted bowl right on line to touch the shot bowl and jack, triggering alengthy measure.-

Was it aGisborne win, atie, or aLancefield victory snatched from the jaws of defeat?-

Young’s bowl may well be the defining shot of the season, with Lancefield now hot favourites to finish in second spot on the ladder behind runaway leaders Romsey, who won by one shot at Tigerland in the previous round.-

In asee-saw afternoon with so much at stake aGisborne side not at full strength played extremely well, and may feel somewhat unlucky not to scrape home after seemingly being in control very late in the match.-

Young was philosophical, admitting his four had been outplayed by David Beardmore’s line-up.-

Initially Gisborne began brilliantly, only to see Lancefield fight back as Jeff Holmes and co. grabbed 11 shots in the space of three ends against Graham Candy.-

At the break, Lancefield had ahandy lead, but apep-talk may have inspired aGisbornefightback as fortunes ebbed and flowed.-

Beardmore finished eight shots up, but the Bev and Jeff Holmes rinks had acombined nine shots to spare for the home side.-

Huge margin

Amarginof33shots by one rink carried fourth placed Kyneton Golf to a25-shot victory against arch rival Kyneton .Itwas the biggest win across all three grades.-

The combination of Brendan Plowman, Paul Tobin, Ray Wilkinson and Peter Linehan (s) proved unstoppable against Anthony Mathison’s rink.

Yet Kyneton had winners in Neil Jamieson and Mark Smoljo.-

With excess heat forecast, the Kilmore versus Romsey game began at 10am, and the Redbacks were pleased to come home with an all fours up victory to be 30 points clear on top of the ladder.-

The Trentham versus Broadford match went down to the final end, with Trentham scrambling home by two shots overall with arink up, one down, and atie.-

This Saturday Trentham is at home to Lancefield, looking to cause an upset.-

The Romsey versus Kyneton Golf match takes pride of place, and the other matches are Kyneton vKilmore, and Broadford vGisborne.-

Ladder positions (with three rounds to play): Romsey 145 points, Lancefield 115, Gisborne 97, Kyneton Golf 95, Kyneton 73, Trentham 71, Kilmore 58, Broadford 50.Freak mishap

After 43 seasons playing for Gisborne, popular veteran Graham Quaife has been sidelined as the result of apainful fall during amid-week pennant match.-

Quaife stumbled on an errant bowl from anext door rink, lost balance, and fell among aclump of bowls.-

One bowl directly contacted his spine, and at the weekend Quaife said he was recovering, but would not play again this season.-

Retirement? Not with the lure of anew set of bowls he has already ordered!-

In division two on Saturday, bottom side Kyneton probably ended Woodend’s final four hopes with afive-shot victory.Macedon bounced back from apoor performance to finished with an all fours up victory against Gisborne, and Romsey gained maximum points against Kyneton Golf to press for afinals berth.-

In the battle for top spot in division three, Macedon downed Trentham by seven shots.Scores

Highlands pennant bowls scores from Saturday were:

Division 1: Kyneton Golf 77 dKyneton 50 –P.Linehan (s)44dA.Mathison 11, A. Plowman 16 lost to N. Jamieson 20, B. Godbolt 17 lost to M. Smoljo 19; Lancefield 58 dGisborne57– B. Holmes 21 dP.Williams 15, J. Holmes

Gisborne outright, with the home side managed 84 and81intwo visits to the crease.

In division 2, Kyneton 158 lost to Sunbury United 9/189 (J. Hughes 100 n.o.) and Riddell 232 lost to Rupertswood 8/238 (M. McKenzie 112).

Wait and see: ahuddle to see the outcome of the final end at Lancefield on Saturdayafter abrilliant bowl from Aaron Young.

24 dG.Candy 21, A. Young 13 lost to D. Beardmore 21; Kilmore 44 lost to Romsey 73 –P.Newell 10 lost to D. Ely 24, K. Mayberry 17 lost to M. Brundell 23, J. Reimann 17 lost to C. Austin 24; Trentham 61 dBroadford 59 –B Mahar17tied with D. Ellis 17, H. Plias 25 dR.Chapman 20, C. McKeone 19 lost to D. Kelly 22.

Division 2: Macedon 83 dGisborne 55 –G.Dickinson

34 dK.Jarred22, I. Guymer 26 dB.Wylie 18,B. Halpin 23 dR.Newton 15; Kyneton Golf 45 lost to Romsey 68 –C Scott 13 lost to J. Fryer 27, P. Williams 15 lost to A. Laing 16, J. Trounce 17 lost to G. Cuthbert 25; Woodend 48 lost to Kyneton 53 –S.Pickles 13 lost to M. Bermingham 16, M. Dornau 19 lost to C. Bermingham 17, N. Bickerdyke 16 lost to J. Epps 20; Broadford 55 dKilmore 45 –W.Fisher 19 dK.Campbell 15, J. Bruce 18 dC.Hodgson 17, P. Hoskins 18 dS.Hawkless 13; Diggers Rest abye.

Division 3: Trentham 48 lost to Macedon 55 –T.White 18 lost to M. Cameron 20, P. Healy 9lost to B. Wasyl 23, I. Bruton 21 dL.Gent12; Gisborne 69 dKilmore 50 –T Woodlock 31 dA.Jowett7,R.Formica 19 lost to W. Gunn 20, P. Wellington 19 lost to W. Cattanach 23; Romsey 44 lost to Woodend 66 –J.Boyce 19 lost to T. Sturt 24, B. Groom 16 lost to J. Behan 17, M. Toy 9losttoA.Lennie 25; Lancefield 52 lost to Diggers Rest 65 –K.Webb 19 lost to P. Robinson 20, C. Stuart 22 dW.Debble 13, K. Johnson 11 lost to K. Icely 32.