Victoria – The State of Pennant
Pennant is the beating heart of bowls in Victoria.
And within this most competitive of sporting environments have emerged some great stories from right around the State during the 2015-16 season.
Bowls Victoria has been alerted to several interesting stories going into, and during finals, as well as showcasing some great pictures in the picture gallery below.
We thank all those who’ve made us aware of these stories, from Pennant competitions all around Victoria.
Sale BC sweeps NGBD Pennant flags
Sale Bowls Club has swept all the flags on offer in North Gippsland Bowls Division.
Sale won all five available flags – two Midweek and three Saturday.
“We have gone back in our records and although we won all four available Saturday flags in 1992/93 we can find no record of us winning all Saturday and Midweek Premierships on offer. We missed out last year winning four,” says proud Sale Bowls Club secretary and bowls co-ordinator Jan Morton.
Last year Sale’s Midweek teams won both flags and their form continued on this season with Division 1 claiming their fifth flag in a row, so perhaps five is the lucky number.
Sale White in Saturday Division 1 and Sale Blue in Division 3 also won back-to-back premierships.
Five Sale teams competed for Saturday Pennant flags, with Sale White playing Sale Blue in Division 1.
Stratford was the only other North Gippsland team to make a Saturday Grand Final appearance playing Sale White in Division 2 and Sale White playing Sale Blue in Division 3.
Eight players were involved in both competitions with only three – Kris Macalpine (Division 2 White and Division 1 Midweek), Norm Pritchard (Division 1 White and Division 2 Midweek) and Keren Blake (Division 3 Blue and Division 1 Midweek) – claiming two medals.
Jan says: “It’s been a very big week for the club and a credit to all our players who have trained several times a week.
“These accomplishments don’t just happen. It takes work and commitment.”
Edithvale ladies go unbeaten all season
They’re celebrating at Edithvale Bowling Club after their Division 1 Women’s Only Pennant side capped off an undefeated season, with Pennant victory for 2015-2016. You’ll find their picture in the gallery below.
ABC – easy as 1,2,3
Alphington Bowls Club, take a bow.
The club’s Division 4 Saturday Pennant side have achieved the rare feat in Saturday Metro Pennant of finishing undefeated throughout the home and away season, and have won promotion to Division 3.
“Following a ‘wasted’ bowls season last year, we set out at the start of the season with two bowls goals, to make the finals and to gain promotion,” ABC President Mark Perry says.
“I am just so proud of all our bowlers who knuckled down and were determined to play consistent and competitive bowls for ABC.”
Mark also added that the side’s great season was also due to the fantastic greens that are prepared by greenkeeper Nathan Swincer and his team.
GVBD Pennant grand final
UPDATED Monday, March 21: Shepparton Golf won a thrilling Goulburn Valley Bowls Division Division 1 Pennant decider over Kyabram by two shots at Hilltop BC in Tatura.
Shepparton Golf triumphed 94-92, pushing out to a big lead before Kyabram pegged them back in a match which came down to the last end.
But Kyabram could only score one of the three shots needed to take the match into an extra end.
One of Victorian bowls’ biggest media supporters is Shepparton-based ONE FM 98.5, and they broadcast the Grand Final live on Sunday, March 20.
Check our photo gallery below for some pics.
Eight flags in a row for Bendigo East bowler
Bendigo East bowler Steve James has chalked up an extraordinary record – notching his eighth flag in eight years in 2016.
The Bendigo Advertiser reports that James chalked up another premiership in helping Bendigo East beat Bendigo 88-74 in the Bendigo Bowls Division 1 grand final.
It was his first season at the top level, with the other seven wins coming in successive years in the lower ranks.
“They’re saying I’m a bit of a good luck charm. Maybe I am,” James told the Advertiser.
Bendigo East’s win was against a Bendigo team which came through a controversial preliminary final win the previous week over Eaglehawk BC, having to survive a protest hearing in the days leading into the match.
Diamond Creek, Bayswater and Dandenong RSL winners
Three of the Saturday Metro Pennant grand finals were held at Glen Waverley Bowls Club, with pictures of some of the action below.
In Division 2, Diamond Creek had a convincing 96-76 win over Pakenham. In Division 4, Bayswater 2 beat Mordialloc 2 72-58, and in Division 8, Dandenong RSL 1 won over Cranbourne 4 50-34.
As well as the Taylor Bowls Premier Division Grand Final played on Sunday, March 20, the Division 7 decider was played the same day.
In the previous day’s semi-finals, Brunswick 3 and Palm Lake won through to the decider with victories over Dandenong Club 3 and Bentleigh 4 respectively.
Palm Lake took out the final 96-58.
You’ll find scores for Saturday Metro Pennant grand finals for Divisions 1-8 here
