Highton 1 charges towards premiership

HIGHTON 1 took a big step towards a premiership with an emphatic 20-shot win over Ocean Grove in Division 1 of GBR pennant bowls on Saturday.

In comparison, the Highton 2 team left the competition, going down to Torquay in a closely fought game by five shots.

The Torquay and Highton 2 elimination final was always set down to be competitive game.

During the home and away series each team had won one game with there being only one shot difference overall.

Playing on the grass at Geelong Cement, the green was running at 15 seconds and played well.

Highton 2 held the ascendancy up until the 90th end when Torquay lifted its game.

With all but one rink finished, Highton 2 held a three-shot lead.

Respective skippers Gary Banks (Torquay) and Graeme Ott (Highton 2) had five ends to play and the Banks rink of Joe Issell (lead), Rob Grubb (second) and Ashley Prosser (third) came home with a wet sail to take a 27-19 win and continue Torquay’s finals quest.

The Banks rink took eight shots over the final five ends in a good display of pressure bowling.

Highton 1 maintained its premiership favouritism with a solid performance over Ocean Grove, taking three of the four rinks.

Its best contribution came from the Nick Bell rink of Doug McGregor (lead), Ray Wilkinson (second) and Adam Lee (third), who combined to deliver a knockout blow with a 34-15 win.

Ron Imanse returned to the mat to take his rink to a seven-shot win, while the Jeremy Fitzgerald rink worked hard to score by a single shot.

Torquay will be confident against Ocean Grove in next week’s preliminary final, having won both matches during the season with a cumulative shot difference of plus-50.