Stawell Bowling Club wins the 2018-19 Grampians Bowls division one Saturday pennant flag | Photos, pictures
Grampians bowls' grand final ends in cliffhanger | Photos, pictures
BOWLING: Ararat got off to a flying start against Stawell in division two's grand final.
SKIPPERS: Chalambar's Shane Todd and Stawell Bowling Club's Andrew Sharp delivered some fantastic bowling during the match. Pictures: PETER PICKERING
PACKED HOUSE: The crowd grew as the day went on - seats were full around the green.
CONCENTRATION: Frank Lovelace puts his bowl down the rink in division two.
GUIDANCE: Chalambar's Garry Todd indicates the distance to his team mates.
DOWN THE RINK: Graham Carr tries his chance with a backhand.
Stawell Bowling Club has claimed the 2018-19 division one Grampians Bowls Division's Saturday Pennant flag with a cliffhanger finish over Chalambar at Ararat VRI.
With three rinks of four players each, the competition was fierce from the first bowl rolled.
Playing a total of 75 ends, 25 each, at the halfway mark it was still anyone's trophy.
Stawell was slight ahead 7 in front after 38 ends.
Rink one, lead by Andrew Sharp, received a huge end after some strategic moves - adding a massive seven shots to their score with about 10 ends to go.
Rink two held steady and kept their dominance going from half time while rink three edged infront, before the wheels fell off.
With rinks one and two finished, the team sat five points ahead of Chalambar.
Rink three had one end to play - due to dead end before the half-way break.
With no bowls sitting close to the kitty - Stawell's number three Don Austerberry looked like sealing the deal, placing his bowl right next to the kitty - creating cheers from the crowd.
The Chalambar skipper stepped up to the mat and knocked kitty through to the ditch - it looked like Stawell was down by three.
Stawell's skipper with the last bowl in his hand tried his luck but couldn't keep the bowl on the green - landing in the gutter.
It was a few tense moments that proceeded the end - as the players measured every bowl to ensure the accuracy as Chalambar looked to keep the game alive.
It was declared - Chalambar won the end by four - but lost the overall match by one, 80-79.
The premiership is Stawell's second premiership in three years. The club claimed the 2016 flag - its first division one premiership in 70 years. Its last division one premiership was in 1946 in the Wimmera Bowling League.
Team manager Andrew Sharp said it was a great feeling to get the win.
READ MORE: Champion of champions crowned
"When we won our last premiership it was against Chalambar by two shots - with a very close finish," he said.
"Last year they defeated us down in Ararat very convincingly. They beat us as well in the first final this season.
"To come back here on a green that we thought might have suited them better than us is a fantastic effort by the boys."
Around the bowling circles, Ararat VRI green is notably one of the faster greens of the competition.
"The green at VRI is probably more in tune with Chalambar's," he said.
"The might have expected to be in tune with the speed and the weight required."
The Stawell Bowling Club's team will go to the next stage later in the 2018-19 season.
An inter-region tournament will be hosted against the best teams from Horsham and Warracknabeal area.
A different tale played out in division two where Ararat were dominate in securing the premiership over Stawell 49-102.
While you’re with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday morning from the Stawell Times-News. To make sure you’re up-to-date with all the news from across the Northern Grampians shire, sign up here.