Grove storms into the decider
OCEAN Grove is the team to beat in Midweek Pennant after a resounding 39-shot win over Queenscliff in the qualifying final at Geelong Cement yesterday.
With its top guns firing, Ocean Grove showed its confidence and skill will be the key in the grand final in a fortnight.
Each of the Grove rinks played pressure bowls against top opposition with the respective skips across the three rinks in control throughout the 75 ends.
Over the home and away series the competition between the two clubs was tight with each winning a game and only a one-shot difference in favour of Queenscliff.
But Ocean Grove took it up a notch yesterday, with the work ethic of the Faye Richardson rink leading by example. Carol Howarth (lead), Margaret Carroll (second), Michael Allen (third) and Richardson combined very well in a clinical demolition of the Kevin Thompson rink 38-14.
With great assistance from its fellow rinks skippered by Matt Flapper (29-16) and Rod Brehaut (23-21), the Grove rinks were always in charge.
Queenscliff must regroup against Highton next week after Highton ended Torquay’s season in the elimination final by 17 shots.
The grass at Geelong Cement was running nicely at 14.5 seconds with both teams able to display their skills.
It was a good result for Highton as Torquay had won both encounters in the season with an aggregate shot difference of 50.
Yesterday, though, Highton had a 15-shot lead at the lunch break and worked hard to maintain it during the afternoon session.
In Division 2, the performance from Geelong RSL against Belmont was the day’s highlight.
RSL was in early trouble on the synthetic green at Clifton Springs, with Belmont leading by 20 shots at the break.
But the RSL rinks lifted after lunch, led by the No.2 rink where Don Harvey (lead), Colin Fraser (second), Peter Lee (third) and skip Faye Weeks took control to work to a sound 25-16 victory.
Premiership favourite St Leonards took a while to get rolling at Clifton Springs but proved too strong for Geelong in a tightly fought contest throughout the 75 ends.
Geelong won two of the three rinks but the class of the top St Leonards rink of Geoff Wharton (lead), Rod BarrKemp (second), Fred Aston (third) and Barry Culph (skip) set up the seven-shot victory with a 28-18 rink win.
The Lynette Sutton rink followed suit as it worked its way, in a determined fashion, to a meritorious 22-18 win.
To Belmont’s credit it toiled hard but found the RSL rinks too good on the day.
Geelong and Geelong RSL will play off next week in the preliminary final to see which of the two clubs will then play St Leonards.