MILDURA Workers have made it through to the Bowls Sunraysia Mid-Week Pennant Division One grand final after a 13 shot win over Irymple in Monday’s preliminary.
Workers Ken Job at skip, Eddy Vuik, Peter Mitchell and Trish Walters took the game by the horns and delivered an emphatic 39 to 17 win over Graeme Phillips, Mick Legin, Julie Lowerson and George Millward to set up the Workers win.
After the game Job had high praise for his rink’s performance especially the play of Peter Mitchell at second who rated consistently all day.
Next door the Fred Bacon skipped rink of Ron Archer, Kris Archer and Dianne Smith fought out a tough 21 to 18 win over Graham Newey, Lorraine Millward, Anne Kellett and Geoff Madigan.
Peter Bishop’s foursome had a tough day at the office early and went into early damage control when they realised that a win was a shot too far.
Minimising losses to one an end is a skips prayer when you know that your rink can’t win and you can see your side is well on the way to a victory.
Bishop went down to Irymple’s Ian Kellet at skip with Wayne Gardner, John Vuik and Chris Scott, 32 to 20.
The grand final will be played at Red Cliffs Bowls Club on Monday with play commencing at 10am.
The Division Two preliminary final saw a determined Wentworth record a tight win over Workers.
This was an interesting match with Workers’ Wayne Long getting his rink on autopilot as they jumped out to a 20 to 7 lead over Dianne Pumpa, Rodger Smith, Alan Behsmann and Karen Behsmann at the halfway mark.
Next door, Workers Ron Boyd was having a tough tussle with Sue Nichols.
Local knowledge and the capacity to reach the head were paramount in Nichols taking her rink of Anne Dawes, Jeremy Pappin and Rod Baird to the break with an unassailable lead 20 to 8.
However at the end the overall difference was one-shot and the second stanza was anybodies.
Workers players needed some encouragement and support to reach the head and lift to make the contest come alive.
Wentworth’s Dianne Pumpa lifted her rink in the second half and wound back the deficit to 21 to 25 going into the last end when Wayne Long pulled out four shots to give the Workers a sniff and trailing by six.
Next door Ron Boyd had conceded defeat after the 24th end giving Wentworth clear passage into the grand final next Monday.
The ultimate wash up was Wentworth 47 (6) defeating Workers 41 (2).
