Learmonth vs Ballarat division one bowls at Learmonth.
TWO Ballarat sides tasted victory for the first time this season in Ballarat Geelong premier division bowls on Saturday.
However, the way Victoria and Sebastopol got on the board could not have been more different.
While the Vics crushed Highton by 56 shots (after leading 80-25 at afternoon tea), Sebastopol scraped in by a single shot against Lara, with only one rink up and another tied on 22 apiece.
Victoria rebounded from its first round defeat at the hands of Bareena with a 126-70 demolition of its Geelong opponent.
The Vics won all four rinks with skipper Wes Lennecke’s team leading the way with a 37-16 win over Adam Lee.
Jarrod Burt’s four won 33-19 and Shaun Clark’s 30-17. Barry Clark’s team got home by a comparatively close 26-18.
Clark said the match, on Victoria’s grass, was always going to be a tough ask for the visitors.
“I thought, with them coming up off a quick synthetic green, and ours running about 11.8 seconds, it was always going to be difficult for them,” Clark said.
“We got off to a great start and I think we just maintained that margin.
“(Highton) certainly came out with a lot more fire in the second half but we have to be able to put sides away. It shows we’ve still got a fair bit of work to do.
“We felt at the start of the season that you’ve got to win four of the first five to set yourself up for top four. Losing the first one had put the pressure on us to achieve that.”
Meanwhile Sebastopol achieved its victory with just one bowl to spare.
With the Kookaburras holding a one shot lead, skipper Andrew Myers decided to call the match for a 84-83 win at Lara.
“We clawed our way back into the match very slowly,” Don Louttit said.
“(Sebastopol skipper) Simon Cornock picked up two on the 99th end to have scores level. Andrew Myers was playing the 100th end. James Derham had a running shot that took out one bowl; he really needed to take out two. Myers decided not to bowl his last one and take the one shot victory.”
Geelong sides Ocean Grove, Geelong West and Ocean Grove all remain unbeaten, at the top of the premier division ladder.
Ocean Grove defeated Webbcona 100-75, Geelong West took the points 94-84 against Avenue and Bareena had a 102-84 win against Central Wendouree.