2018 Men’s Region Sides Championship
The weather was unrelenting. So too were Sandbelt, as they mastered difficult conditions to win the 2018 Men’s Region Sides Championship at Traralgon Bowls Club.
The Belters ran out 58-30 winners over Eastern Ranges in the final – the first defeat for Ranges in the tournament.
Sandbelt overcame tricky conditions, including cross-green winds of more than 40 km/h, intermittent driving rain followed by breaks of sunshine, and chilly conditions, to secure its first Men’s Region Sides Championship in the non-Group era.
Melbourne bowler Scott Mortimer’s big win over Josh Sanders set the stage for a dominant performance from last year’s runners-up to go one better in 2018.
On another rain-interrupted day of competition at Traralgon Bowls Club which threw up difficult weather conditions, Eastern Ranges maintained their unbeaten run to top Section A.
Sandbelt were locked in a dogfight with Metro West and Yarra in Section B going into Day 3, but despite losing to Metro West in their final match, Yarra lost to Murray Mallee in their final game.
That meant Sandbelt topped the section.
Just like Day 2, rain came and went at various stages of the morning session on Day 3 – and when it came it was often heavy and relentless. That meant several matches without any bearing on the overall results were abandoned.
On Day 1, Latrobe City Council’s Cr Kellie O’Callaghan and Bowls Victoria officials opened the 2018 Men’s Region Sides Championship – the first time it has been held in the Latrobe Valley with the support of Latrobe City Council.
The event brings 16 representative teams from all bowls regions in Victoria into a three-day competition, with two sections of eight – each team within a section playing the other once.
Bowls Victoria would like to extend its sincere thanks to Latrobe City Council for its generous support of the event, and the hard-working team and volunteers at Traralgon Bowls Club for an amazing effort in hosting their first Men’s Region Sides championship.
The event is scheduled to be held in Traralgon again in 2019.
Section A
Section B
Bendigo Campaspe
Eastern Ranges
Central Victoria
Ovens & Murray
Gippsland
Northern Gateway
Strzelecki
Peninsula Casey
Central Goulburn Murray
Metro West
Geelong
West Coast
Murray Mallee
Wimmera
Yarra
Sandbelt
Section A – Fixture Results Ladder Skips Ladder
Section B – Fixture Results Ladder Skips Ladder
Final – Fixture Result
