MILDURA Magic have booked their place in the Bowls Sunraysia Pennant Division 1 grand final against Irymple after defeating Workers 80(10) to 56(2) on Saturday.
The Suns, who had the bye after qualifying the previous week, and the Magic are two-all in their encounters so far this year.
Mildura took control of the preliminary final when they jumped away to lead Workers 23-2 after just 12 ends.
Mark Eckel led 12-nil, Chris Mitchell 9-nil and Keith Sharman’s rink was tied 2-all against Ken Job.
At the break, the match was in Mildura’s keeping as they led by 30-plus shots. Mitchell’s rink of Isaiah Bettess, Lindsay Lynch and John Simpson had a stranglehold over Butch Pollock, leading 22-2.
Eckel’s rink of Ken Yeowart, Russell Kneebone and Judy Osborne led 18-8. Sharman and Ken Job were locked in a battle royale separated by the odd digit.
Pollock fired up his rink after the break and made some inroads into the deficit with Fred Bacon, Peter Bishop and Neville Mitchell finding their range.
But the deficit was a bridge too far, they went down 14 -29.
Eckel kept his rink punting after the break and ran away to record a solid 34-13 win over Craig Harker, Roger Bray, Ken Hayes and Mike Legin.
Ken Job shone the light for the Workers as he piloted Peter Mitchell, Darren Cordwell and Ron Archer to a creditable 29-17 win over Sharman, Bob Deacon, Vic Dolenec and Chris Richards.
In Division 2, Irymple took out Nangiloc in an interesting preliminary final played at Workers.
Jamie Forte started proceedings for the Loc with a solid 29-15 win over John Harmer. Forte’s crew of Darren Kerslake, Johnny English and Rob Groves too good for Harmer, Russ Lynch, Tracie Storer and George Millward.
The tide turned as the Suns’ Phil Newton fired his foursome of Gus Storer, Phil Connell and Chris Scott into action as they applied the blowtorch to Toby Moore’s unit of Wade Duncan, Barbara Goldup and Shane Moore with a 32-19 win.
The Suns’ Graeme Phillips appeared in a moon boot after medicos diagnosed a broken foot.
At half time, the moon boot came off and Phillips fired Ian Kellett, Geoff Madigan and Wayne McDonald to a 29-18 win.
The Suns shone, collecting an overall 10-shot victory, 76(10) to 66(2), and a spot in the main dance next week.
In Division 3, Irymple and Underbool locked horns with the Suns keen to be in action alongside the upper two division on grand final day at Coomealla.
Underbool took the match right up to Irymple, with Col Lockett, Alan Stone, Ray Gloster and Alan Willsmore having the better of Lorraine Millward early in the game and opening up a match-winning lead.
The Suns’ Millward rallied her troop of Gary Metcalf, Rod Atkins and Terry Wright to reduce the margin, going down 24-31.
Peter Lambert (S), Rob Harrigan, Graeme Bamford and Julie Lowerson were too good for Rob Gloster, Cameron Gloster, Leslie Stone and Stephen Lynch, recording a 32-20 win for Irymple.
Coming into the home straight, Gaudern Gray, Dinkie Nichols, Michael Cass and Tracey Metcalf mustered up a 24-22 win over Howard Crothers, John Stone, Frankie Gloster and Scott Bremmer to see the Suns victorious in a tough encounter 80(10) to 73(2).
Fourth division looked to be a very tight contest throughout the day between Wentworth and Euston.
Alan Behsmann, Rodger Smith, Ann Dawes and Rod Baird headed off Bandits David Scott, Kevin Mumford, Tom Lindsay and Jeff Lindsay with a 26-24 win for the Steamers.
Next door, Glenn Scott, Blake Downie, Jeff Urand and Tony Scott took out Ivan Behsmann, Trevor Paige, Alistair Baird and Dianne Pumpa 30-13 to give the Bandits a sniff.
However, with the boiler fully loaded and a full head of steam, Jake Ralph (S), Hayden Baird, Mick Goodrem and Jeremy Pappin steamrolled Doug Brown (S), Phil Cattanach, Ian Anderson and Mark Harding 37-15 to catapult the Steamers into the main dance next week. Steamers 76(10) defeated Bandits 69(2).
