Sport
23 January, 2026
Top sides play play out a draw
THE battle for top spot on the Bendigo bowls playing area Division 5 could come down to percentage after a stunning draw by Bridgewater and Kangaroo Flat on Sunday.
Bridgewater is just two points clear of its rival.
At home for the top-billing encounter, Bridgewater made a solid start to take a 13-shot lead at the bell.
Kangaroo Flat surged back strongly in the second half, edging into a winning position with four ends to play, before Bridgewater steadied with several crucial late ends to secure a hard-fought 78-all draw.
The best-performing rink on the day was the quartet of Curtis Mangan, Rae Broadbent, Barbara Catto and Lachlan Catto, who produced a dominant display to record an impressive 31–7 victory, with Lachlan Catto turning in one of his finest games for the club as lead.
Alan Harrison’s rink also fought back strongly, salvaging a 23-all draw after trailing earlier in the match.
In the Goldfields competition, the Bridgewater side travelled to Maryborough Highland for the annual charity round against Talbot. Despite a competitive effort, Bridgewater went down by 22 shots overall, with Ian Clutton’s rink, which fell by only four shots, finishing as the best-performed Goldfields rink on the day.
INGLEWOOD
Inglewood’s weekend Pennant Division 1 side went down to Kangaroo Flat by 18 shots, a result that places added pressure on the final three games of the season.
Division 5 also produced a solid showing but fell short by 19 shots, while the Midweek Pennant sides returned mixed results after an extended break.
Inglewood’s midweek teams were back on the green after six weeks but have another break with no play next Monday, Australia Day.
Division 4 put in an encouraging performance to collect three points, losing overall by just 10 shots.
Division 1 struggled against a strong Bendigo East outfit and were defeated by 36 shots. They now turn their attention to Golden Square in two weeks, where an upset could prove valuable.
In weekend pennant, Division 5 had three tight contests but one rink’s 12-shot deficit proved costly.
It was nevertheless a competitive showing and provides confidence for the run home.
Best rink was Bill Concol, Kevin Stewart, Dionne Roberts and Brendan Hopcott with a narrow one-shot loss.
Division 1 battled gamely against high-placed Kangaroo Flat but were outgunned by 18 shots.
With three matches remaining, consistent performances will be crucial.
Best rink was Blake Smyth, David Whitehead, Lindsay Kelly and Craig Kelly (Skip) with an excellent eight-shot win.