The 2021 season South East Women’s Eightball League has finally come to an end after missing and catching up three rounds and the grand-final then being postponed a week due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Division 1 came down to defending premiers German Club Shooters and 2018 premiers German Club Warriors – who both breezed past second placed Eastern Sapphires eight frames to three in the semi-final and preliminary-final respectively – facing off in the grand-final which guaranteed another premiership for the German Club no matter the outcome.
Warriors got the match off to a good start winning the first frame but unfortunately for them it was all Shooters for the rest of the contest.
The defending premiers won the next seven frames straight thanks to Jo Walsh and captain Karla Bowd with two wins each.
Bev Pearce and Donna Black also chipped in with one win apiece and also young up and coming player Taylee Kerslake who got lucky with a win due to a loss-of-frame foul courtesy of opponent Charlie Gordon.
Captain of the Warriors, Judith Button, then came to the table and posted her second win from as many attempts but it was to no avail as the Shooters’ Donna Black then won the eighth and match-winning frame.
There were a number of frames which could have gone either way but when it came down to the black ball and those pressure shots it was Shooters who held their nerve better.
They played to their usual standard to get the wins and claim back to back premierships.
In the Division 2 grand-final, minor-round premiers Commersh Cougas took on Park Panthers who finished fourth in the division.
Panthers did well to stick with Cougas in the early part of the match until the latter strung a few wins together to get out to a lead of six frames to two.
The lead was then reduced to two frames with Panthers closing the second round well courtesy of Kathy Gray and Benni Rosmann – who both had two wins each on the night – which saw the score sitting at 6-4 Cougas way.
The mum and daughter duo of Mel Hodgson (three wins from three) and Kaitlyn Kember (two wins) then won the next two frames to claim the premiership for Cougas.
Corina Malunat also had a good night winning both her frames for the victors.
MOUNT GAMBIER EIGHTBALL ASSOCIATION
The 2021 finals series has commenced after a couple of setbacks this season and there were a few unexpected results going by team qualifying orders on the ladder.
In Division 1, German Club Gatecrashers and Commercial Club Saints, who finished second and third, clashed in the qualifying-final.
The score was level at four all after eight frames and a long night loomed but Saints rallied to win four from the next five to easily take the win.
The eight frames to five result and put themselves into the second semi-final against minor-round premiers German Club Underdogs next week.
Glen Hambly, Matty Driscoll and young gun Tom Thulborn did all the damage for the Saints winning three and two frames respectively.
The elimination final saw 2019 runner-up premiers German Club Meerkats – who had to settle for fifth and bottom position this year due to a few losses early on – take on the Aussie who were near the top of the ladder for most of the season until the last couple of rounds.
Aussie were down 3-2 after round one but bounced back well winning the next two frames through Jo Ratcliffe and the ever-reliable Dick Peters to get their nose in front.
At completion of the second round the scores were level after man of the match Marc Letizia (three from three) and emergency fill in – German Club Barman – Shane Brown got the next couple on the board for the Meerkats.
The German Club side then stepped up the pace winning three of the next four frames thanks to solid showings from Tony Renzi, Trevor Wilson and Marc Letizia to claim an eight-six victory over their opponents.
Aussie – the team which was apparently put together to knock off German Club Underdogs – may have been too focused on grand-final glory and underestimated the other three top class teams they had to get past in order to even have a crack at the reigning premiers.
They have been eliminated from the competition, while the Meerkats will look to next weeks’ cut-throat first semi-final where they will take on German Club Gatecrashers.
The 2019 Division 3 premiers Commercial Club Lakers showed why they have gone up a division this year when they defeated regular premiership contenders Linksview Crawlers.
They won the Division 2 qualifying-final eight frames to six and will now face minor-round premiers Linksiew in the second semi-final next week and retain their double life.
German Club Nemows who were also promoted a division this year thanks to a good performance in the minor round were pipped at the post by RSL eventually losing the match eight frames to seven and are now eliminated from the competition.
RSL will take on Linksview Crawlers in the do-or-die first semi-final.
