The BMS team added to Ballarat’s recent woes with a 16-shot success in the battle under lights on Friday night.

Three rink wins helped the side capture 16 points and lift it from third to an outright lead over the competition.

BMS, which was relegated from the Geelong-Ballarat Premier Bowls league at the end of last season, has now won its past four matches. The team now holds an eight-point lead over the second-placed Learmonth.

Graeme Inglis, who played in the successful rink skippered by Ryan Beddgood, said his side led by as many as 30 shots at one stage during Friday night’s contest, and after Ballarat closed the margin to about six, BMS was able to pull away once again to record a good victory.

BMS also won the round five clash against Ballarat back in early November.

Inglis said the night fixture – the second hosted by Ballarat in season 2018-19 – was a winner. He said it was a “carnival atmosphere” with a good crowd watching the action on the greens.

While BMS is flying high at the top of the ladder, the news is not so good for Ballarat, which has now lost four games in succession.

Ballarat had been leading the competition at the end of round 12, but is now fourth and only two points clear inside the finals bracket.

Creswick was celebrating a one-shot success over Learmonth on Saturday evening.

Wickers bowler Gerry Flapper said Alan Annear’s rink captured a shot on the final end of the day to help the team record an overall 99-98 triumph.

Learmonth is now second, two points ahead of Creswick, which jumped from fifth to third on the back of Saturday’s result.

Mt Xavier was the team to slip out of the top four over the weekend after losing to Central Wendouree.

The Bears clinched an important win for their own finals chances, scoring by four shots overall.

Mt Xavier won three of the four rinks, but skipper Col Johnson was able to lead Central Wendouree to victory with a big 26-shot success against Phil McGrath.

The Bears are sixth, but only eight points behind Ballarat in fourth.

Over at Ballarat East on Saturday, it was Webbcona that landed a clean sweep over the battling Two Blues.

Webbcona claimed all four rinks in a 118-73 result.

Meanwhile, Smeaton secured just its fourth win of the division one campaign after proving too strong for City Oval at home.

Last season’s division two premiers prevailed 107-80.

The Geelong-Ballarat Premier Bowls league took a break over the long weekend with play set to resume next Saturday. There will be no midweek pennant on Monday due to the Australia Day public holiday.