SOUTH Bendigo put a disappointing first two rounds in BBD weekend pennant behind it to fire the first major salvo of its premiership defence on Saturday.
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Having started with back-to-back losses against Kangaroo Flat and Castlemaine, it was a re-invigorated Diggers line-up that produced a dominant display against Bendigo East in the grand final re-match.
The Diggers returned to the form they displayed last season, trouncing the Beasties by 31 shots at Bendigo East, 88-57.
The Diggers had three rinks up, with Brad Holland (25-11 over Andrew Cullen), Ethan Higgins (23-14 over Brad Marron) and Gary Downie (22-13 over Lee Schraner) all comfortable winners.
For the rinks of Higgins and Downie it was their first wins of the season.
In the closest tussle, the rink of Bendigo East skipper Ian Ross kept its unbeaten start to the season intact, beating Luke Hoskin in a thriller, 19-18.
* Castlemaine is sitting inside the top four for the first time since last playing finals in 2016-17.
In the closest match of the season so far, the Maine edged out Inglewood by one shot, winning 76-75 at home.
The fate of the match rested in the hands of the rinks of Castlemaine's Darren Taylor and Inglewood's Lindsay Kelly, which played the final end.
Heading into the last end the Maine led by two shots.
At one stage on the final end Inglewood was holding at least two shots, before Taylor was able to take second shot with his first bowl, which ultimately proved to seal the one-shot victory for Castlemaine.
Having copped a 57-shot hiding off Bendigo in round one, the Maine has since bounced back with wins over South Bendigo and Inglewood to now be sitting in fourth position.
"We feel we're shaping up fairly well and we're confident of putting up some good showings for the rest of the season," Castlemaine skipper Rod Phillips said.
Saturday was the second tight loss in a row for Inglewood after it went down to Eaglehawk by seven shots the previous week.
* Kangaroo Flat's best start to a season since 2013-14 continued, with the Flat remaining unbeaten following a 77-60 victory over Golden Square.
As well as sitting on top of the ladder, the Flat also has its father-son skipping duo, David Keenan and Cameron Keenan, sitting first and second on the skippers ladder, both undefeated.
David's rink accounted for Barry Hogan 25-12, while Cameron's rink defeated Steven Drummond 21-9.
Golden Square's only winning rink was Travis Berry, which beat Barry Anset 23-13.
* Eaglehawk is also still unbeaten.
The Hawks outclassed Bendigo 91-66 in a match-up that featured a 19-all tie between the rinks of the Hawks' Mal McLean and Bendigo's Andrew Brown.
ROUND 3 RESULTS
DIVISION 1
Castlemaine 76 def Inglewood 75.
Rod Phillips 15 lt Grant Jackson 20; Greg Podesta 22 def Rob Day 16; Darren Taylor 24 def Lindsay Kelly 12; Peter Brain 15 lt Dale Jackson 27.
South Bendigo 88 def Bendigo East 57.
Gary Downie 22 def Lee Schraner 13; Luke Hoskin 18 lt Ian Ross 19; Ethan Higgins 23 def Brad Marron 14; Brad Holland 25 def Andrew Cullen 11.
Eaglehawk 91 def Bendigo 66.
Dean Carter 21 def Grant Woodward 15; Mal McLean 19 dr Andrew Brown 19; Darren Burgess 22 def Lawrence Brooks 17; Brayden Byrne 29 def Leigh Manning 15.
Kangaroo Flat 77 def Golden Square 60.
Barry Anset 13 lt Travis Berry 23; David Keenan 25 def Barry Hogan 12; Cameron Keenan 21 def Steven Drummond 9; Cameron Wilson 18 def Garri Conforti 16.
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DIVISION 2
Eaglehawk 75 def Bendigo 70; Strathfieldsaye 106 def Harcourt 66; Kangaroo Flat 76 def White Hills 56; Bendigo East 73 def South Bendigo 67.
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DIVISION 3
Strathfieldsaye 118 def Woodbury 51; Bendigo East 86 def Golden Square 59; Marong 88 def Bendigo 50; Heathcote 119 def Serpentine 60.
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DIVISION 4
North Bendigo 90 def Castlemaine 63; South Bendigo 86 def Bendigo East 59; Marong 79 def Eaglehawk 71; Kangaroo Flat 99 def Golden Square 64.
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DIVISION 5
Inglewood 77 def Harcourt 68; Dingee 85 def Campbells Creek 66; Calivil 90 def Castlemaine 67; White Hills 78 def Kangaroo Flat 63.
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DIVISION 6
Bridgewater 72 def Woodbury 69; Marong 79 def Eaglehawk 78; Bendigo 98 def Bendigo East 72; Kangaroo Flat 72 dr South Bendigo 72.
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DIVISION 7
Strathfieldsaye 91 def Woodbury 30; Bendigo VRI 83 def Heathcote 28; South Bendigo 70 def White Hills 44; Kangaroo Flat 64 def Golden Square 38.
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DIVISION 8
Kangaroo Flat 80 def Harcourt 47; Strathfieldsaye 68 def White Hills 53.
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DIVISION 9
North Bendigo 39 def Castlemaine 24; Golden Square 40 def Marong 37; White Hills 55 def Bendigo VRI 30.
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MIDWEEK PENNANT:
Monday's division one games from 10am:
Inglewood v Castlemaine
Woodbury v Eaglehawk
Bendigo East v Golden Square
Kangaroo Flat v Bendigo
LADDER:
1. Kangaroo Flat - 57
2. Bendigo East - 56
3. Castlemaine - 35
4. Woodbury - 29
5. Eaglehawk - 25
6. Bendigo - 20
7. Golden Square - 20
8. Inglewood - 14
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