Daniel Fitzpatrick responds to a close call in Saturday’s division five game against Elmore, which ended in a rink win for him but an overall loss for his team.
Stanhope’s division five Campaspe Playing Area team is in danger of missing the finals after losing to fifth-ranked Elmore on Saturday.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
With two rounds of home and away competition remaining the team is 18 pennant points outside the top four, but faces the team it must displace to earn a spot in the finals this weekend - Deniliquin RSL.
In the final round, however, the Stanhope team is pitted against top team Moama Steamers.
It lost 30-45 to Elmore on Saturday, despite Andrew Draffin leading his rink to a 19-14 win. On the other rink Gary Rout, Richard Fairweather, Brenton Northausen and Ian Douglas lost by 20 (11-31).
Brenton Northausen contemplates his next move during Stanhope’s division five loss to Elmore on Saturday.
It was only Douglas’ third loss of the season and he dropped to fifth on the player ladder - remaining Stanhope’s top ranked bowler this season in division five.
– Stanhope’s division four team is in danger of losing its spot in the finals after losing by one shot to Rich River on Saturday.
The team is locked in a three-way battle for two spots, sitting fifth but equal on points with fourth-ranked Lockington and only one pennant point behind third-placed Tongala.
They face bottom team Mathoura-Echuca this weekend, needing a big win to move up the ladder as they confront top team Moama Steamers in the final home and away round.
Stanhope lost to Rich River despite winning two of the three rinks, losing 54-55 (4-12).
Peter Harris won his match by one shot, 17-16, but had a big lead early in the game when he won nine of the first 13 ends. He won just two of the final eight ends to win narrowly.
Barry Williams led from start to finish in his match, winning 21-15 with the highlight being a five-shot haul on the fifth end. On the remaining rink Graeme Nurse trailed by 10 shots after 10 ends and despite recovering to be just four shots behind with five ends remaining was beaten 16-24.
Ian Douglas is Stanhope’s top ranked division five bowler this season.
Tongala won its division four game with Mathoura-Echuca by forfeit, but will need to be on point in the final two rounds against second-ranked Echuca and fourth-ranked Lockington in order to reach the finals.
– Three pennant points separates four teams with two rounds remaining in division two - fifth-ranked Stanhope just three points behind third-ranked Deniliquin.
Top team Moama and second-ranked Echuca are assured of their places in the finals, but after losing to Rich River on the weekend Stanhope is in danger of missing.
Fourth-ranked Tongala also lost, to second-bottom Deni RSL, and is in the four-way battle for two spots in the finals.
Jorja Ponton was Tongala’s only winning skip, taking a one-shot win after facing a three-shot deficit with seven ends remaining. She picked up shot on five of those and despite a late charge from her opposition won overall 17-16.
Phil Cooper led by seven at the half way mark of his match when he picked up a five-shot haul on the 13th end. He then dropped 15 shots on the next six ends and suddenly trailed by seven.
Despite winning the last two ends he lost overall 18-22.
Danny O’Brien had shot bowl on eight of the 21 ends of his match, but on all but one of those picked up just one shot and was beaten 9-21.
Stanhope faces Deni RSL and top team Moama in the final two weeks, while Tongala has Echuca and Deniliquin.
12°C