Stanhope has an opportunity to move into the Gouolburn Valley Playing Area’s division one pennant top four when it meets the two teams directly below it on the ladder in the coming fortnight of competition.
Stanhope is currently sixth, but only 22 pennant points outside the top four, and it faces bottom-team Mooroopna this Saturday and seventh-ranked East Shepparton the following week.
Mooroopna is winless this season, having been promoted into the top flight this season, while East Shepparton — like Stanhope — has won just one of its four matches.
Stanhope has a better percentage than both those teams and is equal on points with fifth-ranked Tatura Hilltop, which it comfortably beat earlier this month.
Hilltop and Shepparton Park are the two teams directly above Stanhope on the ladder, the draw for the Park outfit much tougher than it is for Stanhope.
Park faces Kyabram in a fortnight and the Tatura outfit this weekend, so Stanhope’s opportunity to lift its ranking has never been better.
On Saturday the Stanhope outfit was a 15-shot loser to second-ranked Tallygaroopna, 87-102 (4-14), with wins on two of the four rinks.
Greg Fitzpatrick’s outstanding season continued, earning him a ranking of seven in the top skips for the division one GV pennant season.
Fitzpatrick, bowling with Barry Fletcher, Jono Thorne and Austin Maxwell, won 30-26 against Mitch Sidebottom and Ben Fletcher had the better of decorated Tallygaroopna bowler Mark Ryan.
Ryan was fresh off a Victorian Open victory and lost to the Stanhope skipper 21-17, with Stanhope recruit David Keenan as third for the rink. Robert Armstrong and Jennifer Crilly bowled as leads to the pair.
Tim Hancock’s rink had a tough time against David Daws, losing by 11, while Robert Ponton’s rink was a 12-shot loser to see the Stanhope team finish behind the reigning premier of the division one competition.
• Stanhope’s division three team was a 17-shot winner in its match with Shepparton Park and the Lions now sit in second spot with three wins from four outings.
Kenneth Hoppner’s great start to 2022-23 continued and his top 10 ranking was confirmed among the division’s skips when he was an eight-shot winner.
Stanhope won three of the four rinks in the 16-2 (108-91) victory and this weekend faces fifth-ranked Rushworth.
Neville Cowie was a six-shot winner and the third victory came via Cyril Evans, who claimed a five-shot win.
Evans now has a 2-2 record from his four matches this season, the win on Saturday coming in tandem with Barry Williams, Graeme Nurse and Gordon Mackay.