Everyone is keeping a close eye on the bowl of Chris Steenhuis in the division one grand final at the weekend.
BALLARAT EAST has enjoyed perhaps the biggest day of the club’s history, crushing Ballarat Memorial Sports 128-61 in the Ballarat District Bowls division grand final yesterday.
In a decider remarkable for its one-sidedness, the double blues proved far too strong for the Diggers on the way to a four rinks to nil victory at Sebastopol Bowling Club.
It was East’s win on the trot in division one.
The victory ends a 36-year drought for East and will see the Bradshaw Street club promoted to Ballarat Geelong premier division for the first time.
“It is the club’s most important win, without a doubt,” Ballarat East skipper Peter Dean said.
“It was just remarkable. We went in thinking it would be a really hard game, so it was absolutely unexpected.
“It was the best win we’ve had. I don’t think we’ve even had a home-and-away win that big. I’m not sure if we had a win that was four rinks up during the year.”
The draw on Thursday night had delivered exactly the same match-ups as East’s round 15 match against BMS.
Dean said his it was the Phil Clamp match-up against Chris McDonald’s team that had East most concerned before the match but that was not how it panned out.
McDonald’s team thrashed Clamp’s 40-8, While Dean’s defeated Des Williams and co 35-12 and Peter Wilso finished 29-19 up against Jeff Ryan.
Meanwhile Luke Whitehead’s four engaged in a fierce battle with Kevin McLean’s before the East rink triumphed 24-22.
“I’d say Chris McDonald’s team thrashed what we would consider BMS’s top rink,” Dean said.
“On the other hand, Luke Whitehead had beaten Macca (McLean) twice during the year by near on 20 shots each time, and they had a terrific battle all day.
“We were focused on (Whitehead) doing the damage for us but in the end it didn’t work out like that.”
BMS, curiously enough, started well, and led 13-7 after 12 ends.
However the Diggers were hamstrung by the Sebastopol green, which was heavy and slow after Saturday’s rain.
By afternoon tea, the margin had blown out to 58-29, forcing the Diggers to chase shots.
“BMS practised beforehand but we hadn’t practised before a match all year and we decided not to change our routine,” Dean said.
“When we started off, BMS won across the board. We’ve been slow starters all year but we got on top after that.
“We’ve had a bad history of being up in finals and then letting them slip, so we felt we had to bury the opposition.
“It rained on Saturday, which may have favoured us but no one could have seen the result being like that.
“Going into premier division is very daunting. I think BMS is a very professional club and there’s a fair bit we could learn off them.”
East also won division seven, defeating Buninyong 85-76 on Saturday.
In division two, Daylesford won 94-79 against Sebastopol, while Clunes was victorious in division three, 91-83 against Linton.
Avenue got home 102-82 against Buninyong in division four, while Smeaton is division five’s champion, beating Midlands 101-79.
In division six, Linton won 97-82 against Invermay 82. In division eight, Midlands won 106-89 against Linton, and Midlands won division nine 67-52 against Learmonth.
gavin.mcgrath@fairfaxmedia.com.au
