DESPITE a recent form slump, Bridge White showed they are the best side in the competition with a resounding 40-shot win over Jervois at Jervois.
Tailem Bend holds onto second but is being threatened by Mannum, Jervois and Bridge Blue.
Blue is the side everyone is worried about and will take a bit of keeping out in the lead up too the finals.
In the other matches, Meningie proved too good for Karoonda while Mannum just kept RSL at bay by six shots.
Jim Brandle, Bridge White, and Brian Lord, Meningie share skipper of the round honours this week with each winning by 20 shots.
Tailem Bend v Bridge Blue
In a fine spectacle of bowling at Tailem Bend, Bridge Blue got up on all rinks to beat the locals by six shots.
Ian Oats came from five shots behind with four ends to go to win them all and beat David Linde by two shots.
Bridge Blue’s Allan Kennedy led Tailem Bend’s Sam Shepherd by eight shots on the 19th end then had to withstand a big finish to get home by one shot in a closely contested finish.
Ted Saltmarsh was 10 up on David Hein after 15 ends played but only scored three more shots while the Bridge rink piled on 16 to win by three.
RSL v Mannum
This was a real cliff-hanger and the final result was decided over the final few ends with Mannum coming away with a six-shot win with two winning rinks.
Conditions for play were ideal and many good heads were produced during the day.
Garry Daniel opened up with a single against Terry McDonnell who picked up two shots on the next end.
Daniel added three shots and McDonnell replied with successive threes to take the lead 8-4.
Singles for each team followed and then Daniel added two singles to close the gap to just two shots, 9-7.
McDonnell added two shots and then gained a single to move to 12-7 but Daniel fought back and picked up two shots to keep it tight, 12-9.
With 15 ends played McDonnell stretched the lead to 15-11 only to see Daniel settle and win the next four ends with the addition of eight shots to take the lead 19-15.
McDonnell fought back hard and added two shots then followed up with successive threes to regain the lead, 23-19.
Daniel gained a single on the next end and McDonnell took the final two ends to win the game 27-20.
Jack Pitcher picked up two shots on the first end and Ray Duthie replied with a single.
With four ends played the two sides were tied on three shots.
Pitcher then gained the upper hand and won the next four ends with the addition of eight shots to lead 11-3.
Duthie fought back and gained successive twos to close the gap to four shots.
Singles to each team followed and Duthie then added two shots.
Pitcher won the next two ends with singles and they went to the break at 14-10.
Duthie came out fighting and added successive singles but Pitcher countered with two shots and then picked up a single to lead 17-12.
Four shots to Duthie followed by a single tied the game.
The pressure was on and Pitcher’s team responded allowing him to added three singles to lead 20-17 as they went into the final end.
Duthie gained two shots to make things very tight overall but lost the game 20-19.
Peter Raison, Mannum, began with two shots and RSL’s Dennis Duthie responded with two singles.
Singles for each team followed and then Duthie added three shots over the next two ends to lead 5-3.
Raison settled and won the next three ends to lead 8-5. Successive fours for Duthie gave him a five shot lead, 13-8.
Raison fought back and added two singles.
After 20 ends Raison had fought back to within one shot, 16-15.
Duthie steadied and stopped his run, winning the next four ends to go to 21-15.
The final end was crucial and, following a movement of the jack, Raison held three shots.
Duthie played through the head with his first and Raison just fell short of the count
Duthie went for the draw to cut back with his final bowl and just failed to make it while Raison drew the absolute shot to make four shots and close the gap to 21-19.
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