BOWLS Sunraysia has been a hive of activity across the district with Saturday Pennant and Midweek Pennant hitting the midway point of the season.
Irymple and Mildura in Saturday Pennant Division 1 have jumped away from the rest of the field.
What follows is a real bottle neck as Workers, Ouyen and Merbein are in a full on blitzkrieg scrambling to hold down third and fourth spots.
Red Cliffs sit at the bottom of the table but have caused havoc with wins over the top-two ranked sides and should not be dismissed as potential finalists.
The remaining seven rounds should produce a pressure-cooker finish to the season.
Given some of the results in the past two rounds – Ouyen clean-sheeting Merbein, Workers upsetting Irymple, and Red Cliffs taking down Mildura – there is a lot to play for with all six sides pushing for a place in the finals come February.
Second Division competition has produced a new force with Coomealla dropping down from Division 1 last year to now head up the ladder.
They have been peerless so far, dropping only one game to Mildura in round 5, and could be looking forward to hosting finals at the Thunderdome come February.
Irymple are one win behind in second and have the chance to upset the Cannons at the Cauldron on Saturday.
Mildura, an extra game back in third, have some space ahead of fourth-placed Nangiloc, who need to consolidate after a mid-season slump.
Workers are looking to stay in touch with the four. Ouyen sit winless at the tale end of the table.
Third Division has created a lot of interest this season.
Wentworth scooped the pool in recruiting Division 1 premiership leader Col Sherriff from Irymple, which has certainly kick started their season as they sit two games clear atop the ladder.
Two points separates third-placed Merbein from sixth-placed Euston.
Fourth Division comprises only two rinks in each side and it is hard work for a side when one rink suffers a big loss.
Coomealla sit on top, two games clear with a whopping 100-plus shots differential in their favour. They are well in the red with local bookmakers to take out the flag. Mildura 5 sit 14 points in arrears with Irymple and Mildura 4 breathing down their neck in third and fourth spots, respectively.
Underbool have a remote chance of making the finals.
In Midweek Pennant, all games on Monday were abandoned and no play took place. Points were shared across the competition.
Mildura lead the Division 1 competition sitting two games and 11 points clear of Workers.
Red Cliffs are 20 points down on Workers, but only one game separates the two sides.
Irymple sit in fourth spot six points ahead of Ouyen. Red Cliffs, Irymple and Ouyen will be in a fight to claim third and fourth spot.
In Division 2, Mildura holds down top spot from Workers, Wentworth and Euston.
At this stage of the season, it is a close-run race across the competition with six sides still in the hunt for finals.
RESULTS
State Championship qualifier events:
Women’s Over 60 Singles: Judy Osborne d Carolyn Coles 21-15.
Women’s Over 60 Pairs: Marg Dominelli, Ros Muir d Sue Kelly, Ning Pitcher 13-11
Women’s State Singles: Janet Vallance d Carolyn Coles 25-15.
Women’s State Pairs: Tracie Storer, Dinky Nichols d Carolyn Coles, Fran Richards 14-9.
Men’s Over 60 Singles: Chris Mitchell d Fred Bacon 21-6
Men’s Over 60 Pairs: Chris Mitchell, Ron O’Neil d Lindsay Lynch, John Simpson 14-7.
Men’s State Singles: Glenn Scott d Isaiah Bettess 25-18
Men’s State Pairs: Glenn Scott, Matt West d Chris Mitchell, Robert Hanns 21-6.
State Mixed Pairs: Ken Capper, Ros Muir d Glenn Scott, Brenda Lindsay 15-14.
