Local pairs on top
Pairs from Drouin and Neerim District took out the West Gippsland Bowls Division over 60 pairs competitions at Traralgon on Friday.
Whilst the wild, wet and windy weather raged outside, the finals were played in excellent conditions under the roof.
In the men’s, Drouin bowlers Steve Barr and Les Firth defeated Keith Gadsby and David Cook from Morwell 14/12.
In the women’s, it was a local battle with the Neerim District pair of Karren Sheers and Pat Fraser-Aurisch taking on the Drouin pair of Jan Aubrey and Maureen Leighton. Sheers and Fraser-Aurisch won 18/12.
The quarter and semi-finals were played prior to Friday.
In the quarter-finals, David Alderman substituting for Jim Power and Graham Davis of Warragul were too strong for the Newborough pair of Robert Cook and Barry Daley. Davis gained a big end late in the game to give an imposing lead as they won 18/14.
Steve Barr and Les Firth of Drouin defeated the Traralgon pair of Ron Baker and Abe Roeder 16/14 in a match with some excellent draw bowling from both teams.
Keith Gadsby and David Cook of Morwell went shot-for-shot with the Traralgon pair of Austin Gapper and Wayne Lynch in another match which had the spectators enjoying the combative nature of the game. The Morwell pair won 13/11.
In the semi-finals, Barr and Firth of Drouin continued their good form with a resounding victory over the Warragul pair of Alderman and Davis 21/8.
Gadsby and Cook played the Traralgon pair of Ian Hilsley and Ian Kirkup who had a bye in the quarterfinals. The Morwell pair won well, 17/6, against the former champions in this event.
The men’s final was shot-for-shot, as the Morwell pair of Gadsby and Cook matched it with their Drouin opponents Barr and Firth. The match was tied three-all after five ends.
Two ends later, after gaining a three and a four, Firth got away to a 10/3 lead. Not to be outdone, Gadsby and Cook rallied to win the next four ends and draw level at 10-all. It was proving to be a great spectacle for the viewers.
Firth gained three and over the next two ends they each got a shot, leaving
Firth three in front going into the last end. Cook and Gadsby held shot with his second last bowl as Cook rolled out Firth's bowl to hold three shots. Firth then drew second shot. Cook then took aim at trying to remove Firth's bowl and he got it away well and appeared to be on target to nudge Firth's bowl out of the head. However, at the last moment it changed direction slightly to narrowly miss, leaving Firth the winner of the match by two shots.
The women’s final was shot-for-shot early with Leighton leading 3/2 after three ends. Fraser-Aurisch and Sheers got into overdrive and won the next six ends to lead 13/3.
Not to be outdone, Leighton won the next thee ends to fight back to 10/13 before disaster struck on the next end. Sheers and Aurisch drew five shots to go away to a match winning lead with only two ends to play.
The winners, Drouin bowlers Steve Barr and Les Firth and Neerim District bowlers Karren Sheers and Pat FraserAurisch, will go on to play the winners from South Gippsland in the Strzelecki Region playoffs in February for the right to play in State Champions Week in Bendigo in April.