Terang’s Jenny Meade releases her bowl.
TERANG bowlers celebrated with an ice-cream after defying their underdog status to earn direct passage to a Tuesday pennant grand final.
The small club upstaged Western District Bowls Division powerhouse City Memorial Gold two rinks to one, 73-56, in the second semi-final at Port Fairy yesterday.
Carol Cardwell and her rinkmates laid the platform for the triumph, defeating Chrissy McMahon 29-16.
Margaret Sumner defeated Barbara Bibby 21-15 while Jean Fidge lost to Denise Hillier 23-25.
Cardwell said she and her teammates stopped off in Warrnambool on their way home for an ice-cream.
She said the win reflected what was possible when teammates worked together.
“We’ve all combined very well this year. That was the main thing,” she said.
“We were hoping. We weren’t expecting great things but we really hoped.
“I think (the win) means everything. We’re just rapt. Everybody had a grin on their faces all the way home.
“Even the oldest bowler had a wonderful time.”
Cardwell said Terang would practise for hours on its green in preparation for the grand final at Dennington in a fortnight.
“Just good practice and hope for the best,” she said.
Terang’s win through to the grand final means that for the first time in a decade, the decider will not be a City-Warrnambool affair.
City Gold will play club rival City Green in the preliminary final after Green stunned Warrnambool Gold two rinks to one, 76-58, in the first semi-final also at Port Fairy.
Pauline Burleigh enjoyed the biggest win, a 28-14 triumph against Lorraine Shaw.
Karina Ellery took the points against Maree Lynch 29-22 while Dorothy Gleeson lost to Brenda Hawker 19-22.
Burleigh said she was surprised by the result after Warrnambool Gold defeated City Green seven days earlier.
“The whole thing was we were second and we just had such a bad day last week and got beat and dropped to fourth,” she said. “We knew we were better than fourth. It’s just the concentration you’ve got to have.
“We just all had it today. It’ll be a different game all together next week.”
Burleigh said two City sides playing each other in a preliminary final was not ideal.
She said City Green — the seconds — would be up for the challenge.
“We’ll be underdogs so we’ll just play it as a normal game and just hope that we’re competitive,” she said.
“There will be a rivalry there but it’ll be friendly.”
afawkes@fairfaxmedia.com.au
