Kyneton is in with a strong chance of winning all three Highlands bowls pennants when grand finals are played this weekend.
In the division 1 semi-final at Lancefield on Saturday, flag-favourite Kyneton surged clear of Romsey in the second half to win by 24 shots and go straight into the 2024-2025 grand final.
Reigning premier Kyneton Golf scrambled to a dramatic 52-50 first semi-final victory over Kilmore on Saturday, but faded in the second half as Romsey applied the pressure in the preliminary final at Woodend on Sunday.
Romsey surged to a confidence boosting 68-41 margin over Golf, knowing the chance for that elusive first-ever top division bowls flag is still alive.
Already Romsey has received ‘Good Luck’ messages from plenty of bowls enthusiasts who believe it’s time for the Redbacks’ top level premiership drought to end.
Kyneton selectors will not be worried, with an unchanged lineup expected to represent the club in Sunday’s grand final. It is possible a change may be made to Romsey’s lineup.
It’s a great effort to have teams in all three divisional grand finals — the only club to achieve the feat this season.
It’s a big week for Kyneton Bowling Club supporters — the club’s last division one flag came in 2019-2020 with a victory over Lancefield.
Before this season began Kyneton was installed as flag favourite with its heavy influx of quality players.
Greg Podesta, ex-Kangaroo Flat, is a brilliant bowler in all facets of the game. And he has played a big role in lifting Kyneton’s winning ratio.
John O’Donnell, another quality skipper, has played some top games in his first season with the club. Proven performers in Graham Edwards and Glenn Gascoyne also strengthen Kyneton.
It’s hard to spot a weakness in Kyneton’s lineup, but everyone knows the grand final is a new game, with two opponents starting on equal terms.
Podesta has already won the Ballarat-Highlands Region singles championship, and is in the final of the Champion of Champions after earlier beating Romsey star Aaron Young 25-24 in a high quality quarter-final.
Nathan Lynch, a young star with the strong Moonee Ponds club, has given Romsey a real quality player at the right time.
LANCEFIELD AND WOODEND
On Saturday, the division 2 and 3 grand finals will be played at Lancefield, with the green expected to be in top order again.
The division 2 grand final is between Woodend and Kyneton, and division 3 sees Mt Cottrell tackle a Kyneton side in strong winning form.
Highands match committee chairman, Garry Templar, said the Woodend green was presented in magnificent order on Sunday, and it was a pleasure to play on.
Woodend has put a lot of work into the grass green, and the club is very pleased to be hosting the division one grand final this Sunday.
Certainly a big bonanza of bowls for the Highlands division this weekend.
ALL THE SCORES
Scores from Highlands bowls semi-finals on Saturday were:
First division: at Lancefield: Kyneton 80 d Romsey 56 — Ant. Mathison 19 lost to N. Lynch 23, J. O’Donnell 33 d M. Brundell 19. G. Podestra 18 d A. Young 14; Kyneton Golf 52 d Kilmore 50 — T. Williams 15 tied with J. Wiffen 23, P. Linehan 16 lost to D. Noonan 23, A. Barker 21 d L. Spargo 12.
Div. 2 at Trentham: Kyneton Golf 48 lost to Woodend 68 — J. McQualter 14 lost to S. Pickle 21, J. Trounce 16 lost to N. Bickerdyke 28, W. Turner 18 lost to G. Stmons 19.Macedon 57 lost to Kyneton 64 — G. Dickerson 16 lost to D. Kennedy 28, I. Guymer 16 lost to D. Knight 21, I. Matthews 25 d M. Bermingham 15.
Div.3 at Woodend: Mt Cottrell 62 d Kilmore 54 — B. Robinson 12 lost to K. Campbell 28, P. Roche 31 d S. Bloomfield 10, J. Langley 19 d J. Fitzgerald 16. Kyneton 83 d Romsey 37 — B. Rowe 19 d M. Toy 15, N. Rawlings 38 d H. Rose 10, J. Epps 26 d R. Kozolins 12.
Preliminary Finals on Sunday produced the following outcomes:
Division 1: Romsey 68 d Kyneton Golf 41 — N. Lynch 22 d T. Williams 8, M. Brundell 23 d P. Linehan 17, A. Young 23 d A. Barker 16.
Div. 2: Kyneton Golf 33 lost to Kyneton 74 — J. McQualter 14 lost to D. Kennedy 20, J. Trounce 6 lost to D. Knight 27, R. Buckley 13 lost to M. Bermingham 27.
Div. 3: Kyneton 65 d Kilmore 60 — N. Rawkings 16 lost to K. Campbell 20, J. Epps 29 d S. Bloomfield 21, B. Rowe 20 d J. Fitzgerald 19.
