Sport
21 February, 2026
Vital lifelines come into play
WEDDERBURN got home by a whisker in the North Central bowls Division 1 semi-final on Saturday to move into the preliminary final against Wycheproof next weekend at St Arnaud.
In Bendigo area bowls, both Bridgewater and Calivil live to fight again another day after losing their respective semis against Kangaroo Flat in Division 5 and Division 4.
A loss for Wedderburn against St Arnaud Country would have meant curtains for the club’s Division 1 season, but the two-shot win, 66-64, has them a step closer to the grand final.
Wedderburn won two of the three rinks, with six- and five-shot wins outscoring a nine-shot loss in the third contest.
Rob Guelfo, Dale Stephenson, Alan Holt and Alan Jackson (skip) won 26-20, while Robert Tonkin, Leon Holt, Andrew Caserta and Laurie Witham (skip) triumphed 24-19. The rink skippered by Bob Montebello (Amy Roberts, Sandra Steel and Bruce Hargreaves) were beaten 25 shots to 16.
The Division 2 side lost to Wycheproof 79-60 but can reach the grand final with a win over St Arnaud Country on Saturday.
BRIDGEWATER
The Division 5 team looked set for a shellacking at the break against Kangaroo Flat but fought it out strongly following afternoon tea.
However, it was not enough for Bridgey to avoid an 89-59 loss that has set up a preliminary final clash against Bendigo, which knocked out Campbell’s Creek 79-71 in the first semi-final.
The matches were played on a lightning-fast green at Inglewood which did not suit the Bridgewater bowlers.
The team of Peter Steenhuis, Glenn Catto, Jayden Leach and Glenn Mangan (skip) won their rink 21-13, while the rink of Lachlan Catto, Vern Wilson, Rae Broadbent and Curtis Mangan (skip) came late to force a draw 19-all. The other two rinks were heavily defeated, with 29-8 and 28-11 losses.
Bridgewater finished the season on top, seven points ahead of Kangaroo Flat, and now confronts Bendigo, which finished third, 25 points and three games behind Bridgey, for a place in the decider.
CALIVIL
Division 4 topped the ladder after the home and away season but couldn’t overcome second-placed Kangaroo Flat last Saturday at Marong.
The Demons lost all four rinks in a 97-67 defeat, with the lineup of Robert Boyd, Phillip Hercus, Allan Dennis and skip Nathan Dennis doing best with a heartbreaking one-shot loss, 21-20.
The other rinks lost by 12, nine and eight shots to their opponents, who progressed to the grand final.
Calivil now must beat Strathfieldsaye to earn another crack at Kangaroo Flat, with the preliminary final.The Demons’ record of 10 wins, two losses and two draws compares favourably with Strathfieldsaye’s 8-5-1 result from the home and away matches, and Calivil beat this week’s opponents twice this season.