Wedderburn clinched the North Central Playing Area’s midweek pennant premiership title after a nail-biting showdown against Wycheproof, sealing the deal with a 7-shot victory in what proved to be a ripper finale to a cracking season at the St. Arnaud Country Club.
Through much of the game, Wedderburn maintained a narrow lead, which stretched to 11 shots shortly after the lunch break, with 52 ends under their belt.
Over on the three greens, Laurie Witham’s crew, featuring the indefatigable Amy Roberts, Judy Matthews, and lead Robina Little, took charge, leading Dale Groves, Jason McKay, Shirley McKenna, and Matt Nicholls by a solid 9 shots at 21-12. Neale Holt, Andrew Caserta, Sandra Standfield, and Helen Stephenson held their own with a 4-shot lead against Jono Grylls, Jeannie Grylls, Betty Taylor, and Carol Jones, while Alan Jackson, backed by Ruth Hall, Sandra Steel, and Helen Stephenson, trailed behind Alan Jones, Lorraine Milburn, Vince Grant, and Andrea Coatsworth by 2 shots at 14-16 in a fierce battle of the bowling giants.
As the game progressed to 69 ends, the lead had shrunk to just 4 shots, with Witham’s team still dominating the scoreboard. With the Jones rink widening their lead to 8 shots and the Grylls rink nabbing a 1-shot advantage, tension and excitement reached fever pitch around the green.
With Jono Grylls and Neale Holt wrapping up their 25 ends, Wycheproof secured a 3-shot win. However, Witham’s 13-shot triumph over Dale Groves more than made up for it.
With just 2 ends left for the Jackson versus Jones rink, and Wycheproof ahead by 8 shots, the overall margin in favour of Wedderburn was a mere 2 shots, keeping the premiership up in the air until the very end.
Meanwhile, in the mixed section, Birchip maintained a commanding lead, eventually clinching the final points with a 3-game (33-30) section win. Despite some tough contests, Birchip’s Tim McClelland, Julie Coffey, and Rebecca Botheras emerged as three-set winners, securing a solid victory for their team.
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