Emu Point Red claim top spot in division one after enthralling final round

Passionate Albany bowler TIM SCOTT is writing a fortnightly column for The Extra, keeping our readers up to date with the local bowls scene.

The final round of men’s pennants in the Lower Great Southern Bowling League had thrilling results, drawn aggregates, upsets and heartbreak.

In division one, Emu Point Red claimed top place with a 6 (73) to 0 (37) win over Middleton Beach Green to snare the home green advantage and host the finals.

This will prove advantageous for a side which is hitting top form and will be strengthened by the inclusion of star skipper Matt Mitchell.

Albany Gold, having held the ladder lead for most of the season, were upset at home by bottom-placed Mt Barker Golf 5 (60) to 1 (56).

This win was bittersweet for Golf as the points gained were not enough to avoid relegation.

Middleton Beach Black grabbed 3.5 points with Albany Green 2.5 (60), securing their place in the top division next season.

A return to form helped Middleton Beach Gold produce a commanding 6 (71) to 0 (54) home win over Denmark, who as a result missed the finals by half a point.

Fourth-placed Middleton Beach Green will now play a derby against Middleton Beach Gold in an elimination final on Saturday morning, while reigning pennant holders, hosts and favourites Emu Point will compete against Albany Gold, with the winner advancing straight to Sunday’s final.

The loser of this game and the winner of the derby will contest the preliminary final on Saturday afternoon.

Second division also delivered some remarkable result as leaders Mt Barker celebrated their promotion to first division with a strong away win over Middleton Beach White 5 (67) to 1 (42).

The result confirmed White will be demoted as Cranbrook and Walpole produced another drawn aggregate score, with Cranbrook gaining the valuable 3.5 points to ensure they maintain their status in the division.

Emu Point Purple had a massive win over Albany Grey 6 (90) to 0 (35), while Mt Barker Golf White grabbed the most valuable of wins against Albany Brown 5 (69) to 1 (51).

This win by Golf helped them secure fourth place on the ladder by percentage over Brown, with the two teams separated by just 14 shots over the whole season.

Mt Barker will now host the second-division finals and will be very hard to beat as they will compete with Emu Point Purple for the straight path to the final.

Walpole and Mt Barker Golf White will contest the sudden- death final.

Mt Barker grabbed the maximum points over Frankland in third division 6 (63) to 0 (37) to leapfrog Denmark, who had the bye, to top place and therefore gain promotion for next year by just one point.

Emu Point Black secured their place in the top four with a resounding 6 (73) to 0 (46) win over Albany White, while fourth spot was secured by Green Range despite losing 5 (69) to 1 (54) to Emu Point White.

The point gained by Green Range saw Middleton Beach Lime finish in fifth position, one point behind, after a win against Mt Barker Golf Blue 5 (73) to 1 (54).

The finals for third division, which are straight knockouts, will be played in Mt Barker on Saturday morning, with the final to be played in the afternoon.

This will be an exciting and closely fought finals series in all divisions and I wish all the players, teams and host clubs the very best of luck.