THE Far Western Bowls champion of club singles championship was completed at Hamilton on Sunday.

As reported previously, the field was reduced from 11 to four for both the women’s and men’s sections, starting with many club members playing for the club singles, usually an honour board event and the winners progress to the next level.

Sunday in the women’s section, four players competed for the grand final spot - Jules Pollock of Grangeburn played Nettie Tinning of Balmoral, and Margie McConachy of Casterton played Ann Rentsch of Penshurst.

Pollock led 16-15 at end 16, but Tinning screwed down the pressure valve and won the game, 25-16.

In the other game it was close for the first few ends before McConachy got stuck on 10, then made a comeback to get to 17, but Rentsch continued to gather ones and then a three and five to win, 25-18.

Around 60 spectators watched the grand final, appreciating every bowl, as Tinning got out to an 11-3 lead.

Rentsch closed the deficit to three shots, but again the flow changed and after some beaut bowls by both players, the championship went with the Balmoral bowler, 26-12.

In the men’s section Casterton’s Andy Alderton played Macarthur’s Bill Edge, and after eight ends scores were 7-7, and after 19 ends, Alderton led, 18-17.

Edge finally got the lead and went on to win, 25-21, while in the other game, Heywood’s Mick Swan and Derek Brody got into gear, however robotic Swanny could do no wrong, close ones all the time and after 10 ends, Swan led 20-1, and got the final one needed on end 15.

After lunch, Swan and Edge rolled off into a 26-end game, and at end 14 the scores were 11-11, before Swan won nine of the next 12 ends to claim the title.

The Region playoff will be in Warrnambool on the 18th of February.

Division one

ROUND 13 of pennant was completed on Saturday and in division one there was one huge win, one big one, one by just less than 10 and one by two.

Memorial set up for Casterton and took no prisoners with a 93-30 victory.

Casterton was battling for players, but as we know Memorial is top of the ladder by miles.

Cam Holcombe with 34 to Andy Alderton’s five, Kel Wiffen 25 to Neil Shannon 16, and Graeme Solly another 34 to Shane Gill’s nine.

The win puts Memorial on 183 points. 

Up at Balmoral, results were decisive but a bit closer than above.

Troy Gore 19 to Ken Woolley 22, Paul Stanislawski 28 to Mick Swan 26, and Nev Trotman’s team with Derek Brody, Nettie Tinning and David Hubble got the highest division one team score of 37 to Ian Robinson 10.

Grangeburn stretched Portland past the limit and had a win by nine.

Bert Partington’s team was kept to six to be short of Tony Hogan 22, while Grant Gibson partly fixed that with 28 to Mick Jennings 12, and Leah McCabe got 30 to Lindsay Gruar 12.

Overall scores settled on 64 to 55.

The cliff-hanger, even if played 90km from the coast, saw Hamilton and Penshurst go back and forth all day until the final bell and Penshurst grabbed a two-shot win.

Hamish McDonald 18 to Phil Allen 22, Peter Graham 14 to Mick Ross 18, and the former apparently had a chance to win the overall contest but not to be.

Norm Pech 22 to Bret Linke 17 obviously wasn’t quite enough either.

The first four sides named are assured of a final.

Ladder: Memorial 183, Penshurst 146, Portland 133, Balmoral 97, Heywood 79, Grangeburn 78, Casterton 70, Hamilton 46.            

The last home and away games are Casterton v Balmoral, Hamilton v Grangeburn, Portland v Heywood and Penshurst v Memorial.

Division two

THREE home sides had wins with the highest side score 47 and the highest team score 30.

A quick example of how things can change in bowls; maybe not exactly accurate but Portland played Heywood, and at the break Alan Warburton was yet to score while Corey Spruit had 20.

But then the caffeine must have kicked in, as the Warburton team scored 20-4 to close the gap.

Andy Smail and Coral Stephens battled very close all day and with a couple of good breaks the Smail team won 21-15, Therefore it was another two-shotter with Portland winning, 41-39.

Next closest was between Hamilton Gold and Grangeburn, where Gordon Scott got 23 to Keven Bailey 20, and Jim Brody with 17 to Nettie Ryan 15.

It again was a change of lead many times throughout the afternoon and the scores were 40 to 35.

Macarthur at home is presently on the fourth rung after a win against Memorial, 40 to 33.

Bill Edge 22 to Ted Leahy 13, and Clifton Tonissen 18 to Gerry Watt 20.

Hamilton Gold was the host versus Coleraine and missed a win by 15.

Geoff Woods managed eight to Bruce Armstrong 30, and Rob Thornton retrieved seven by defeating Steve Cooper, 24 to 17.

Ladder: Portland 119, +50, Hamilton Green 113, +34, Memorial 113, +28, Macarthur 105, Coleraine 100, Grangeburn 70, Hamilton Gold 64, Heywood 44.

The final round is Grangeburn v Portland, Macarthur v Hamilton Green, Coleraine v Heywood and Memorial v Hamilton Gold.

Division three

A HIGH of 63 and 35 was the high team score, with three home wins recorded.

The members of the final four are settled, but three and four positions could change, but won’t matter too much with third and fourth playing each other.

Balmoral was the home side loser as Dartmoor knocked them off, 33-51.

Redeye was a nark and took shots away from Mick McInnes, so I’m told, and left his team with a 19-25 result.

Paul Raggatt 14 to Peter Holmes 26 gave Dartmoor all the points and a move up to third, but only by one point.

Penshurst had enough margin up its sleeve to stay in the four, as Memorial gave the visitors a bath.

Peter Fasoli 33 to Ian Mclean 11, and Kevin Husson on fire again with 28 to Barry King’s eight.

Portland more than doubled Hamilton Green’s score, winning 41-20.

Heather Burgess 21 to Miriam Tonissen 12, and Peter Longstaff 20 to Graeme Wallis’ eight.

Hamilton Gold and Grangeburn played on the B green at Hamilton and the home side won by four.

Maximillian Spiller with Pom McRae, Derek Hill and Neville Huf put together 35 to Wendy Kosch and team’s 15, and Heather McIntyre recorded 10 to Lesley Stewart 26.

Ladder: Memorial 149, Portland 134, Dartmoor 101, + 58, Penshurst 100, -19, Hamilton Gold 83, Hamilton Green 64, Grangeburn 59, Balmoral 38.

Last round match-ups include Hamilton Green v Balmoral, Memorial v Hamilton Gold, Grangeburn v Dartmoor and Penshurst v Portland.

Division four

HEYWOOD had to forfeit to Grangeburn, so the receivers got 14 points and 15 shots to the ladder total to start the round.

Memorial Blue and Red had a go to see which side could take the top ladder spot and it turned out to be Blue with a nine-shot margin.

Mike Rentoul sailed into 27 to Rhonda Bramley’s eight, and Ronnie Robinson on the other side of the ledger with 13 to Jude Fasoli 23, leading to a 40-31 overall result.

Hamilton Green and Hamilton Gold battled their hearts out and after being behind for quite a while, the Gold side got up by 10.

Barry Dowling 21 to Mal Brinkman 18, and Jim Nichol was the spoiler with 24 to Doreen Edwards 17 - and the 24 included a five on the last end.

Portland maintained fourth place by getting a good win together over Penshurst.

Les Baker 25 to Don Adamson nine, and Gary Milich 23 to Neil Manning 12.

Coleraine 44 to Macarthur 29 gave the home side a chance to grab the fourth rung next week.

Rodney Woolley 24 to Mary Millard 13, and Alan Templeton 20 to Carole Dunn 16. 

Ladder: Memorial Blue 128, +45, Memorial Red 122, +124, Hamilton Gold 122, +58, Portland 119 + 67, Coleraine 111 + 140, Heywood 74, Grangeburn 66, Macarthur 59, Penshurst 55, Hamilton Green 54. The final home and away round will see Heywood v Memorial Blue, Penshurst v Grangeburn, Hamilton Gold v Portland, Memorial Red v Coleraine, Hamilton Green v Macarthur.