BPL15: Pulse take first title in all Melbourne final
Dandenong Club’s Melbourne Pulse have claimed their first Bowls Premier League title after a thrilling finals night at Club Pine Rivers.
The Pulse took out the BPL15 title in a hard-fought tiebreak final win over Victorian rivals Melbourne eXtreme.
The win is a historic one for the Pulse, giving them their first BPL title on their sixth attempt. It also marks the first BPL titles for players Barrie Lester, Gary Kelly and Ellen Ryan.
The Pulse set the pace during the week in the lead up to finals, finishing on top of the table after the 18 rounds to give themselves a double-chance finals opportunity.
Finals night began with the Tasmania Tridents, who snuck into finals in fifth spot on shot difference, take on the Moama Steamers.
The Tridents settled well in their first ever final, winning to advance to take on the Brisbane Pirates.
Alex Marshall and the Pirates were too good, winning to move on to the preliminary final.
Taking on the eXtreme in a qualifying semi-final, the Pulse snuck through in a tight contest to lock away a grand final berth.
The preliminary final was one to remember, with eXtreme’s Matt Flapper going shot for shot with Marshall. In the end it was Flapper with a final bowl bomb to secure the win and help the eXtreme into their first BPL final.
The Pulse appeared to be the stronger side in the final, but Flapper continued his strong form to force a tiebreak.
Down a set and 3-2 on the fourth end and with the Pulse holding three shots, the eXtreme looked dead and buried before more Flapper magic saved the match, picking up two shots doubled on their powerplay to advance to a deciding end.
It wasn’t to be for the Sunbury-based side however, with the Pulse getting the job done in the tiebreak end.
The Pulse will have a chance to defend their title in November, when the Bowls Premier League returns to Club Pine Rivers from November 7-11 for BPL16.
