Sport
21 January, 2026
Bowlers bounce back from break
Saturday’s loss to Donald makes the task harder for St Arnaud to avoid missing finals for the first time in several years.
FINALS hopes are fading for St Arnaud’s Division One bowlers in the North Central competition.
Saturday’s loss to Donald makes the task harder for St Arnaud to avoid missing finals for the first time in several years.
On a fast but true green, St Arnaud struggled from the outset and trailed for almost the entire match.
With North Central pennant resuming after the Christmas break, the clash was crucial for St Arnaud’s push to reclaim a top-four position.
They now sit fifth on the ladder, 12 points adrift of fourth-placed Wedderburn with three rounds remaining.
The only winning rink for St Arnaud came through Steve Zsigmond, Glendon Hancock, Paul Micallef and Kerryn Dyke, who jumped to an early lead against Kelvin Adamson’s four and held firm under pressure.
Terry McSwain, Greg McNally, Maurie Wood and Tony Marland fought back bravely after trailing 1–7 at the five-end mark. They hit the lead after 15 ends, but Hunter Wingfield’s rink steadied late to take the points.
The combination of Ashley Dyke, Phil McRae, Col Marchment and Darren Shepherd endured a difficult day against Norm Hollis’s four, trailing 1–19 after nine ends and 13–33 after 24 ends.
A remarkable final-end haul of six shots restored some respectability, but the deficit was too great.
A silver lining for the club came from Country Club’s win over Wedderburn, keeping St Arnaud’s faint finals hopes alive.
In Division Two, St Arnaud claimed all three rinks in a valuable 15-shot victory, banking a vital 12 points to retain third place on the ladder.
Laurie Goodwin, John Prendergast, Marg McRae and Garry Smith controlled their contest, winning 16 of the 25 ends for a nine-shot margin over E. Adams.
In a tight encounter, Tom Amos, Colin Coates, Brian Eccles and Jason Barron edged out R. Gravestocks’ by four shots after a see-sawing battle.
The rink of Wayne Rourke, Marie Hufer, Craig Cheesman and Heather Stevenson produced a match-defining seven-shot haul on the 16th end and held on for a two-shot win against M. Quick.
St Arnaud finished with 40 ends to Donald’s 35 across the afternoon.
St Arnaud hosted Wedderburn at home for Round 11, the first Midweek Pennant match of 2026.
Laurie Goodwin’s rink faced John Grant’s Wedderburn team in a tight contest throughout the morning. Wedderburn opened strongly to lead 4-0 after three ends before St Arnaud settled to trail 10-9 at lunch. The visitors then scored a three on the 20th end to level the match at 14 all. Wedderburn finished stronger, scoring three shots on both the 22nd and 23rd ends to secure the edge and win 21-17.
Phil McRae’s team met Sandra Steel’s rink. St Arnaud opened brightly with 5 shots on the first end, but Wedderburn responded to level the scores 9-all after 10 ends. Another strong surge saw the home side collect seven shots over the next two ends for a 16/10 halftime lead.
A further five shots on the 15th end put St Arnaud in control, but Wedderburn hit back with two and six on the 16th and 17th ends, closing the margin to just two shots.
Only singles were scored from there, with St Arnaud steadying to win 26-22.
Terry McSwain’s rink played Amy Roberts’ Wedderburn team. St Arnaud managed just four ends before lunch and trailed 5-14. The second half consisted entirely of single shots to both sides, except the last end where Wedderburn collected two shots to win 21-11.
The stage is set for a thrilling showdown in the singles championship, with Sandra McIntyre and Kerryn Dyke to contest the 2026 Final tomorrow afternoon.
Both players earned their places after surviving gruelling Round 2 matches that stretched well beyond the three-hour mark in outstanding conditions on Sunday.
The final promises a high-quality contest, with both McIntyre and Dyke displaying endurance, consistency and superb touch throughout the championship so far.
Round 1 results:
S. McIntyre d Margaret McRae, K. Dyke d Marie Hufer, Diane Ostarcevic d H. Stevenson, Margaret McIntyre d A. McNally.
In Round 2 last Sunday, Kerryn Dyke d Margaret McIntyre 25–23
In a gripping contest, Margaret McIntyre led 6–4 after nine ends before Dyke surged with nine shots in four ends to take command at 13–6. McIntyre fought back superbly, drawing level at 23 all after 30 ends. Dyke held her nerve, producing two strong closing ends to secure consecutive 2s and win 25–23. The marathon 31-end match lasted nearly three hours.
Sandra McIntyre d Diane Ostarcevic 25–21
In the second semi-final, Diane Ostarcevic continued her season-long improvement, leading 13–4 after 14 ends. McIntyre then mounted a determined comeback, winning 11 of the next 13 ends to turn the contest and lead 20–15 after 27 ends. The pair traded shots over the final stretch, with eight more ends completed before McIntyre sealed a 25–21 victory with a single on the last end. Their match extended to 35 ends and more than three hours of play.
The St Arnaud Bowling Club’s Twilight Bowls resumes Thursday from 6.30pm.
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