By Tara Murray
After a couple of false starts, Bacchus Marsh is into the Bowls Victoria weekend pennant, division 2, section 1 grand final.
Bacchus Marsh was set to play Werribee last Saturday in their semi final but it was postponed due to a total fire ban.
It was the same situation the following day, with play finally getting underway on Saturday.
It was a repeat of last season’s grand final, but it was a different result this season with Bacchus Marsh winning 87 (16)-67 (2).
Bacchus Marsh’s Tanner Dickson-Arthur said while it was frustrating not to play the previous weekend, there were things more important than bowls.
Under rules, Bacchus Marsh teams can’t play on days of total fire ban due to safety concerns.
He said they were thrilled to be through to the grand final.
“Werribee are a good side and the two games we’ve played this season have been close,” he said.
“It was close all day before we kicked away and got a lead. Werribee made a late charge, but we led by enough.”
Phil Minniti’s rink was the difference as it won 28-11. Dickson-Arthur said it had been magnificent to get Minniti back into the team after he missed the first few rounds this season.
The other winners for Bacchus Marsh were Glenn Sargent, who won 19-13, and Simon Cornock won 23-21.
Matthew Young’s rink lost 22-17.
Dickson-Arthur, who wasn’t at the club last season, said the group had been determined to finish the season off a lot stronger this year.
Last season they finished on top before exiting the finals in straight sets.
“We were outplayed on the Saturday and Sunday last year,” he said. “We wanted to go at least one step further and have a chance to win it.”
Bacchus Marsh will be going for its second Bowls Victoria weekend pennant division 2 title having won it in its first season in the competition.
Bacchus Marsh will face Keilor in the grand final, before the Bulls beat Werribee comfortably in Sunday’s preliminary final.
Speaking before the preliminary final between Werribee and Keilor, Dickson-Arthur said the top four had been so close this season that anyone could win.
Keilor beat Bacchus Marsh in round one, with Bacchus Marsh winning in round eight, with five and six shots the difference respectively in those two matches.
“There’s been a lot of close games,” Dickson-Arthur said. “I’m expecting a close game between Keilor and Werribee.
“There’s not much between them.”
Bacchus Marsh’s second side was in action on Sunday in a preliminary final against Point Cook in the division 4, section 1 competition.
The previous day it lost a semi final to Hoppers, 97(16)-66 (2).
It bounced back to win the preliminary final, 75 (14)-70 (4).
Bacchus Marsh will face Hoppers in that grand final on Saturday.
