THE two teams that have won the past 12 Northern District Bowls Division Saturday pennant Division One titles between them will meet tomorrow for the honour of being the 2017-18 premiers.
Defending premiers, Kerang will aim to become the second team to win at least four consecutive top-flight titles, but go into the match at Cohuna as underdogs against Cohuna Golf.
In what will be a rematch of last season’s Hawthorne Family Shield decider, Cohuna Golf – which won nine consecutive flags between the 2005-06 and 2013-14 seasons – will be aiming for a 15th top-flight title.
The minor premiers have won their past two matches against the three-time premiers, sweeping all three rinks in the round 15 encounter and the second semi-final, both held on Kerang’s greens.
Kerang’s sole win against Cohuna Golf occurred in mid-November, with the visitors claiming two rinks in a two-shot victory.
Both sides boast some of the division’s top bowlers, evident in the recent selection of the Region 4 side for next month’s State Regional Sides Championship.
Kerang quartet Daniel Baker, Dale Hancock, Richie Murray and Jason Wilson – who will compete at Traralgon – will all be key players tomorrow, with the side progressing to the grand final following a 15-shot, two-rink win against Leitchville last weekend.
Cohuna Golf will look to the experience of those who featured in the club’s run of nine consecutive pennant titles and 11 of the past 12 grand final appearances, led by Frank Trezise, Mick Carmody and Ron Eckhardt.
• BARHAM Services will aim to defend its Division Two title tomorrow when the border side take on Cohuna Golf White.
Although the team finished second on the ladder at the end of the home and away season, Barham Services goes into the Hawthorne Family Cup decider against the minor premiers with a 2-1 record from their three meetings in 2017-18.
Cohuna Golf White recorded a five-shot, two-rink win the teams first met in late November, with Barham Services producing a 28-shot, three rink sweep in late January.
The New South Wales-based side also claimed the second semi-final, thanks to a 17-shot, two-rink victory on March 3 at Kerang.
Cohuna Golf White, which is aiming to win the club’s second Division Two title this decade, progressed to the grand final after defeating Cohuna by 41 shots in last Saturday’s preliminary final.
* WAKOOL faces a major challenge in claiming the club’s first title in 16 seasons, with the competition’s northernmost team to play last season’s grand finalists, Kerang Blue in the Division Three Hawthorne Family Silver Plate decider.
Kerang Blue last played in March 3, with the minor premiers defeating Barham Services Gold in the second semi-final.
Wakool, which finished fourth at the end of the home and away season, defeated Cohuna Golf and Barham Services Gold in the past two weekends to progress to tomorrow’s decider.
Kerang Blue recorded a four-shot, two-rink win during the sole meeting between the grand finalists, held in early December.
