BALLARAT District Bowls Division pairs winners Heather Hopkinson and Lee Wilson were beaten at Central Highlands regional semi-final level at Dunolly on Sunday.
Hopkinson and Wilson, from Ballarat Bowling Club, were defeated by Gisborne pair Mary Wilson and Dorothy Evans, 19-9 in a high-standard game played with good sportsmanship on the Dunolly grass.
The Gisborne pair went on to win the regional final and has progressed to state level finals.
* Central Wendouree’s Lyn Maple is the BDBD Champion of Champions singles champion after defeating City Oval’s Janine Roberts 26-20 at Ballarat. It was a good game to view with two bowlers playing a very different style of bowls. Maple is a draw bowler, while Janine Roberts is much more direct.
Roberts is fairly new at lawn bowls, this being only her fourth season, and will be a challenge to many in the future. Her style of delivery and her ability to take risks is very different from Lyn who has been a skilled draw bowler for many years.
* Pairs at division level gets under way tomorrow at Ballarat, with some good games to view indeed. The second day is on February 13 at Sebastopol, both days 9.30am registration.
* Managers are to fax results of the preliminary finals on February 18, to The Courier, Val Savage and Joy Adams on 5331 7315 as venues have to be booked for semi-finals.
* Bowlers have one last chance to book a seat to the Australian Open on February 22, with entry to be paid by no later than February 18. The cost is coach fare only, with gold coin donation that will go to charity.
PREDICTIONS: Round 17 is over, now it’s D-Day for some clubs. Division one is established with the four being settled but divisions two through four are in limbo.
Central Wendouree plays away to Smeaton but I feel Centrals will still get home in division one.
Division two sees Beaufort against BMS. I’m tipping the home team but it is a tough ask.
Avenue is at home to Webbcona in division three and I believe Avenue may win this one.
Division four’s match between Buninyong and BMS looks oh so close but I will choose Buninyong to just get over the line.
* Nora Thornhill is the BDBD publicity officer
