MILDURA Magic took out both Division 1 and 2 Bowls Sunraysia Midweek pennant flags at the Red Cliffs Bowls Club on Monday.
In Division 1, Workers turned up ready to play and took hold of the contest by the scruff of the neck.
Peter Bishop’s rink of Mick Rhoden, Lorraine Wallace and Kerry Wallace had the formidable challenge of keeping Isaiah Bettess, Lindsay Lynch, Joan Bunney and Rod Johnstone under wraps.
From the get go Bishop’s rink lifted and jumped out to lead 20 to 7 after 14 ends.
Next door Mildura’s Ken Yeowart, Judy Osborne, Fran Richards and Rob Hanns were under the pump as Ken Job, Peter Mitchell, Eddy Vuik and Trish Walters continued to deliver rating bowls. Job’s rink held a slight lead at the break.
Mildura’s Mark Eckel kept things tight on his rink to lead 12-10 at the break as Workers looked the goods holding a 13 shot advantage after 42 ends.
Disaster struck for Mildura after the resumption.
Fred Bacon’s rink of Wayne Long, Kristina Archer and Dianne Smith collected five shots on end 15 to retake the lead over Eckel.
Bishop added four shots to his rink score and Workers were away leading by 20 shots after 48 ends.
Mildura’s front half started to find their mojo later in the day, setting up heads to score.
Eckel’s rink pulled out all stops and did not concede another end winning 10 ends on the trot.
Bettess had his team on the move and kept the Bishop quartet quiet conceding only five shots for the remainder of the game.
Ken Yeowart inched ahead and with Osborne, Richards and Hanns all contributing on the run home pulled out a 22 to 17 win.
After 73 ends Mildura had taken the lead for the first time in the match as only the Eckel and Bettess rinks remained in play.
As the Bettess rink conceded one shot the margin back to one.
With Eckel’s group playing the 74th end the crowd was silent.
Bacon took aim at Mildura’s shot bowl and removed it to give the Workers a sniff.
Eckel responded with a running shot which trailed the Jack into the ditch and it was one shot to Mildura, the margin now two.
On end 75 Glenys Yeowart drew two quality shots at lead for Mildura.
The Workers responded when Kristina Archer snuck one about 60 centimetres away.
Eckel called Capper at Third to draw the shot and his well weighted delivery took an edge of the Workers bowl and slid onto the Jack for a toucher and back hopper.
Despite his best efforts Bacon could not dislodge the shot bowl and the Magic were home in a ripping contest.
Mildura 69 to 66 to claim back-to-back Division 1 premierships.
They will go on to contest the Regional Pennant finals to be held at the Workers Bowls Club on Sunday, March 16.
The Division 2 final was just as intense as the lead rattled back and forth as first Mildura took a 16 to 12 break after 14 ends.
Wentworth continued to push and reduced the deficit to one, trailing 19 to 20 after 22.
The margins remained tight as both sides exchanged shots, neither could break the hold and jump away.
The Steamers kept pushing and by end 32 they had grabbed the lead 30 to 28 and looked ready to make a charge.
With 18 ends to be played across the board, Mildura’s leaders on both rinks lifted their rating and started to deliver for their skips.
Carmel Morrison leading for Reg Gardner and Alik Kowalewicz going off first for Peter Ellis lifted.
Kowalewicz in particular ran hot over the last seven ends giving Ellis, Cecilia Ferdelja and Marlene Scheele the opportunity to apply the pressure against Dianne Pumpa, Rodger Smith, Alan Behsmann and Karen Behsmann.
After 44 ends the Magic were out to a 40 to 32 lead.
The Gardner rink of Val Munro, Judy Morris and Morrison were having a battle royale with Sue Nichols, Jeremy Pappin, Nicole White and Rod Baird.
When Gardner trailed the jack on end 23 for three shots the Magic had extended their lead to double digits.
Peter Ellis piloted his rink home to record a 26 to 19 win.
Coming into the 50th end the Magic held an unassailable lead 52 to 41 and the Nichols rink collected two shots to go down to Gardner 24 to 26.
The Magic were home 52 to 43 in a clinking final that could have gone either way.
