Deniliquin has replaced Moama on the second rung of the Campaspe division one pennant bowls competition after winning two of the three rinks at Moama on Saturday.
The five shot win, 56-51 (14-2), was dominated by Jamie Shields’ rink of Graham Nisbet, Lindsay Franklin and Stephen O’Brien.
Their 16 shot win (27-11) against George Thornley’s rink, his first defeat of the season at division one level, was the major influence on the outcome.
Neville Varcoe, Moama’s only winning skip, almost squared the ledger when he Brian Franklin, Laurie Campbell and Russell Kelly were 25-10 winners against Simon Chisholm.
But the four-shot win of Deniliquin skip Shane Laing (19-15) ensured Deniliquin walked away with a lion’s share of the pennant points.
Deniliquin is now two points clear of third-ranked Moama, with Echuca (which had the bye on the weekend) still nine points clear on top of the ladder.
Varcoe has produced a mixed bag this season, having a 3-3 record from his six rounds.
His result was almost enough to offset the loss of the remaining two skips.
There is now a three-week break in the Campaspe weekend division one competition, with round seven not due to be contested until January 15.
That will be a blockbuster match when top-of-the-ladder Echuca and second-ranked Deniliquin are drawn to contest the round-seven match at the Echuca rink.
Stuart Whyte, who bowled second to George Thornley on Saturday, said Deniliquin skip Jamie Shields was often stepping onto the mat to deliver the final two bowls of an end in a commanding position.
“Their four bowlers were on fire, the skip always had a good base,” he said.
Whyte, who was part of the team watching the temperature rise to remain under competition heat rule requirements, said when it reached 38ºC there were only one or two ends to play.
There was never a lot between the two teams during the afternoon, Whyte explaining that even about half way through the match there was only five or six shots in it.
- Moama has moved further ahead at the top of Bendigo Campaspe Goldfields Bowls Region’s Premier league ladder.
Moama remains unbeaten from its five matches, with its closest competition being South Bendigo and Kangaroo Flat, the latter which was upset by seventh ranked Golden Square on Saturday.
After seven rounds Moama has accumulated 82 points and is 12 per cent clear of any other teams percentage.
Moama’s only blemish this season came in round two when it had an extraordinary draw with Eaglehawk, ranked fourth, Bradley Campbell the hero on that occasion with an 18-shot win.
On Saturday the extreme heat policy, which kicks in when the thermometer hits the 38ºC-mark, meant all four rinks did not reach a 21-end climax.
The teams agreed to play to 15 ends after the Bendigo bus arrived well after the expected starting time of 10am.
To constitute a match there must be at least 60 ends completed for the afternoon. There was quite a difference in the four rink scores when time was called on Saturday’s contest.
Kevin Anderson and Bradley Campbell, who have produced outstanding results this season, set up the 70-39 (16-2) victory.
Campbell, with in form third Cass Millerick, Robert Young and Ronald Bunting in tow, was 22-4 up at the 15 end mark against Grant Woodward’s rink.
Anderson had a 23-9 advantage on Leigh Manning, while in a slower scoring match Kevin Brennan’s rink was 12-11 in front when the heat rule came into force.
On the remaining rink Peter Campbell was in the skip role against Bendigo’s Lee Harris, trailing 13-15 when the 60 ends were completed to constitute a match.
Moama’s demolition of bottom-team Bendigo at Moama on Saturday, when all weekend pennant bowls matches were brought forward due to heat, has given it a 13-point lead on top of the ladder at the Christmas break.
The home and away season of the nine-team competition will not resume until January 8, when Moama will have a chance to further advance its lead on top of the ladder. It is drawn to play eighth-ranked Castlemaine, who has won just won its six games.