IN a round with much better weather conditions all division results were either close, widespread or in one case very close.
Highest team scores in each division were 33, 31 or 30.
Getting back to the draw, and Balmoral was at home to Memorial and was trying to reverse the result of round three, where the margin ended at five.
Derek Brody put a dent in Ken Evans’ run of wins with 21 to 14, Pegleg was tossed by Des Pitts, 17 to 21, and Trotty 15 lost to Greg Hoggan 18, leading to a 53-53 draw.
Memorial stayed put on the ladder and Balmoral dropped to third.
Portland replaced Balmoral via a strong win over Grangeburn.
Lindsay Gruar 14 lost to Bert Partington 20, then the tables turned, with Bazz Jennings 27 to Prewey’s nine and Peter Cottier 26 to Robyn Thomassen with another nine.
The final scores settled on 68-34.
Peter Cottier’s team holds the best performance figures of division one with 80 per cent.
Casterton frightened Hamilton over at Island Park, with six shots the winning margin to the visitors.
The game was top v bottom, as Styx Russell defeated Bill Satchell, 25-20, Andy Alderton 17 to Norm Pech 20, and Neil Shannon 14 to Richard Martin 22.
Martin’s team has a 78 per cent win figure.
Heywood had a solid win against Penshurst, Mick Swan had one of the 33s stated above playing Cam Wilson, whose team scored 16.
John and Rick Angelino both scored 20s, John was against Mick Ross, who had a better number of 23, and Rick faced David Cook with 19.
Scores eventually settled on 73 to 58 being the totals.
The ladder figures, including shot margins, reads Hamilton 117 +142, Portland 108 +136, Balmoral 106 +92, Memorial 80 +23, Heywood 79 -11, Grangeburn 63 -107, Penshurst 60 -85, and Casterton 27 -190.
Division two
THE two Hamilton and two Portland sides played for bragging rights, and a top three re-shuffle eventuated.
Hamilton Gold played Hamilton Green and the Gold ones got the top rung back with a 16 shotter.
Green was actually the home side so come first.
Jim Brody 19, Trev Schultz 16, Denis Gay 12, Allan Crane 31 and Maxi Spiller drew with Maurice Jolly, 20-20.
Final figures signed off at 51-67.
The second home team derby was Portland Blue v Portland Gold, but technically Gold was the top ranked side.
So, Blue upset the apple cart by winning, 64 to 56.
Allan Warburton 23 to John Rappard 15, Allan Palmer 21 to Barry Huppatz 20, and Reg Alexander 20 to Tom Alexander (not related) 21.
The win to Tom keeps his team on top of the percentage win list.
Macarthur and Memorial played the closest contest with 57 to 60 the final score.
Clifton Tonissen 25 to Gerry Watt 13, Jean Schroeder 20 to Peter Fasoli 24, and Anthony Bourke 12 to Leonie Buchanan 23.
There was a shuffle on top of the ladder, Hamilton Gold replaced Portland Gold for the second time in 10 games, while the rest was status quo.
Hamilton Gold 127, Portland Gold 123, Portland Blue 92, Memorial 81, Macarthur 35, and Hamilton Green 22.
Division three
COLERAINE set up for Hamilton to visit and before play, Coleraine was on top by one point.
Well Vern Spencer played Bill Edge, the latter team flying to a 14-0 start, then Vern got to 10, 15 and then things exploded, as Edge got 31 to Spencer’s 14.
Next door Steve Cooper, whose team has the best performance figures for division three, battled Peter Clapham’s team and with a seven towards the end won, 22-17.
Next door, Bruce Armstrong wasn’t allowed much leeway and went down to Jim Nichol’s team, 9-23.
Overall totals were 45 to 71.
Memorial had a big day playing Grangeburn, and the home side ended up with the second highest total of all games, 72 to 46.
Tink Imbi 18 to Wendy Kosch 16, Terry Stanley with the second 33 of the round to Nettie Ryan 19, and David Garnier 21 to John Colcott 11.
The ladder prior to the break reads Hamilton 95, Coleraine 82, Grangeburn 76, and Memorial 67.
Division four
THERE were no Covid related draws this week with the first two games listed in the draw won by the home side, and the last three by the visitors.
Heywood 42 beat Hamilton Green 31, off the back of Thelma Hoggan 25 against Don Walter 14 and Rob Hamblin finishing level with Nev Blackmore, 17-17.
Balmoral 40 to Casterton 27, thanks to Ben McPhee 24 to Berniece Sullivan’s nine, and Paul Raggatt 16 to Helen Lucas 18.
Grangeburn was at home to Coleraine and apart from scoreboard hiccups, the home side gathered 29 to Coleraine 35.
Peter Moore 11 to Robin Salamon 18, and Gary Harris 18 to Arthur Guy 17.
Penshurst was invaded by Dartmoor and had the difficult task of defending a positive result, but it was not to be.
Ian McLean 19 to Redeye 27, and Tony Williams 14 to Peter Holmes 30.
The Dartmoor teams have 78 and 75 per cent win rates.
Macarthur 26 at home to Hamilton Gold, which racked up 55.
Carole Dunn 12 to Miriam Tonissen 20, and Roger Moodie 14 lost to Norm Schwarz with 35, which after checking of records was the highest of all scores all divisions.
Wonders will never cease.
The ladder reads Dartmoor 115, Coleraine 110, Balmoral 94, Penshurst 71, Heywood 65, Grangeburn 60, Ham. Gold 56 -11. Casterton 56 -64, Casterton 38, and Macarthur 35.
We now have a break where clubs can play their championship events or just have a spell until January 21, when the last four rounds will be commenced.
Have a beaut Christmas everyone.
