BENDIGO East is through to its fifth Bendigo Bowls Division grand final in the past six years after a gripping one-shot win over Eaglehawk on Saturday.
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East handed minor premier Eaglehawk a straight sets exit with a 91-90 win in the preliminary final at Bendigo.
The win sets up a grand final next Sunday between Bendigo and Bendigo East at South Bendigo for the second time in three years.
Scores had been level at 90 apiece going into the final end of the match to be played between East’s Brad Holland and Eaglehawk’s Simon Carter.
Holland secured what proved to be the match-winning shot with the second last bowl of the match in a cliffhanger finish.
“The game ebbed and flowed all day,” Holland said.
“Right across the board there was a lot of great bowls played all game.
“It was a great atmosphere and the game was played in great spirit and it was just a fantastic game to be part of.”
While Holland picked up the match-winning one shot on the final end, his rink was beaten 27-21 by Carter.
East’s two winning rinks were those of Liam Crapper and David Keenan.
Crapper’s rink continued its fine late-season form with a 27-23 victory over Phil Godkin.
Keenan was a 22-18 winner over Ken Rusbridge.
As well as Carter’s win over Holland, the other victorious Hawks skipper was Tony Ellis, whose rink capped an unbeaten season with a 22-21 triumph over Paul Moller.
Bendigo East’s preliminary final win came on the back of an 18-shot victory over reigning premier Golden Square in the elimination final the previous week, with the side peaking at the right time following an inconsistent home and away season.
While East is through to the grand final, the loss was a bitter end to a season in which Eaglehawk had carried the tag as flag favourite for much of it.
Eaglehawk ended the home and away season 26 points clear at the top of the ladder, but lost both finals to become the first team to be bundled out in straight sets since Golden Square in 2007-08.
The Hawks were beaten by Bendigo by 18 shots in the qualifying final a week earlier.
Thirteen BBD clubs will be represented across next weekend’s nine grand finals.
Bendigo and Bendigo East have the most sides in grand finals, each with three, while Marong has two.
The division two to nine grand finals will be played on Saturday, with the division one clash on Sunday.
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
DIVISION ONE
Eaglehawk 4-90 lt Bendigo East 14-91 - S. Carter 27 d B. Holland 21, P. Godkin 23 lt L. Crapper 27, K. Rusbridge 18 lt D. Keenan 22, T. Ellis 22 d P. Moller 21.
Grand final: Bendigo v Bendigo East.
DIVISION TWO
Bendigo East 16-96 d Bendigo 2-79 - L. Hull 28 d D. Bennet 17, B. Deller 12 lt C. Runnalls 27, A. Clough 23 d R. Angove 17, N. Davies 33 d A. Kendall 18.
Grand final: Eaglehawk v Bendigo East.
DIVISION THREE
Bendigo 14-96 d Harcourt 4-77 - J. Cassidy 34 d T. Olsson 15, J. Beecham 19 lt L. Mahoney 25, R. Thompson 18 lt K. Holschier 22, P. Dumont 25 d G. Maddern 25.
Grand final: Bendigo East v Bendigo.
DIVISION FOUR
Heathcote 14-111 d South Bendigo 4-87 - J. McGillivray 17 lt D. Mellington 26, G. Speirs 28 lt T. Bullow 29, D.E. Binney 35 d G. Bacchin 20, B. Gardiner 31 d J. Hayes 12.
Grand final: Serpentine v Heathcote.
DIVISION FIVE
Calivil 2-81 lt Golden Square 16-103 - B. Lancaster 18 lt K. Connaughton 28, B. Meighan 16 lt P. Camm 24, J. Pickles 24 d M. Campbell 23, W. Miles 23 lt D. Kent 28.
Grand final: Strathfielsaye v Calivil.
DIVISION SIX
Inglewood 16-110 d Dingee 2-82 - D. Wilson 30 d D. Fiedler 20, B. Mahoney 26 d R. Thompson 22, L. Rowley 39 d N. Lister 12, B. Dowling 15 lt K. Murphy 28.
Grand final: Campbells Creek v Inglewood.
DIVISION SEVEN
Lockwood South 4-73 d Bendigo VRI 12-74 - T. Hurford 27 d M. Connolly 25, A. Manallack 14 d T. Watson 31, A. Archer 32 d N. Morton 18.
Grand final: Marong v Lockwood South.
DIVISION EIGHT
Bendigo Golf 2-61 lt Bendigo 14-65 - T. Gastin 21 d B. Runnalls 14, R. Spedding 15 lt M. Nelson 23, B. Mott 25 lt D. Perdon 28.
Grand final: Marong v Bendigo.
DIVISION NINE
South Bendigo 14-48 d Marong 0-38 - D. Clohesy 27 d N. Hill 19, D. Oddy 22 d J. Scott 19.
Grand final: Kangaroo Flat v South Bendigo.