The wanted and unwanted records after BPL16
Once the dust settles on a Bowls Premier League (BPL) event, we often uncover numerous records either equalled or broken, and the most recent edition of the made-for-television tournament at Club Pine Rivers was no different.
Here are some of the highlights that have emerged from the pulsating BPL16.
Back-to-back champions
The Melbourne Pulse entered rarified air with a second consecutive championship, becoming the third franchise in BPL history to achieve the feat after a straight-sets win over the Adelaide Pioneers on Friday night.
Only the Sydney Lions (BPL04-06) and Tweed Heads Ospreys (BPL12-13) have gone back-to-back previously, with Sydney being the sole squad to achieve the elusive three-peat, something the Pulse will be striving for in February when BPL17 commences at Moama Bowling Club.
Five grand finals
Scott Thulborn and Wayne Ruediger joined an illustrious group of players to have played in five or more BPL grand finals after the Adelaide Pioneers reached the decider for the second time in franchise history.
The pair are the sixth and seventh players respectively to achieve the feat after playing in three each for the former Adelaide Endurance team that reached the ultimate decider in APL01-03.
Ryan Bester, Aron Sherriff, Aaron Teys, Michael Walker and Karen Murphy AM have all played in five, with Bester the only player to have progressed to six deciders.
Most grand finals lost
Unfortunately for Thulborn and Ruediger, that total of five is also the amount of grand final defeats that they have suffered during their time in the BPL.
The pair went into the event equal with Ryan Bester on four, but with the runner-up finish they pull ahead one clear Bester, who is a two-time champion.
Most votes for an MVP winner
Corey Wedlock polled an astonishing 49 out of a possible 54 votes in the MVP voting at BPL16 to claim his maiden award and an All Star cap in what was a lean tournament for the Ospreys.
The previous record was set by Aron Sherriff at BPL15 in May, where the Steamers star and five-time MVP took home 47 votes to claim the award.
Most finals series played
The Moama Steamers extended their own record of most finals series played after booking passage with a tie-break win over the Pioneers in the final round.
Moama’s tally now stands at 11, missing just four finals campaigns since the franchise’s inception in APL02.
The Moreton Bay Pirates also moved to double figures in this category, appearing under lights on a Friday night for the tenth time.
Two-time All Star
Rebecca Van Asch capped off another strong BPL performance on a personal front as she earned a second consecutive All Star team cap, joining Gary Kelly, Corey Wedlock and coach Jeremy Henry in the latest squad.
Van Asch is just the second player in history to make the team twice, after Aron Sherriff achieved the accolade at BPL14 and 15.
First two-time All Star Coach
Jeremy Henry became the first two-time BPL All Star team coach after the Pulse’s back-to-back championships.
At BPL15 however, two coaches were given the nod as Henry was forced to leave before the Friday final, with Scott de Jongh taking the reins for the concluding rounds and finals night.
Henry joins the likes of Steve Glasson OAM and Wayne Turley OAM as the only coaches to have won the title on multiple occasions.
The All Star team awards were introduced in BPL14, after Glasson and Turley guided their teams to victory.
Multiple wooden spoons
The Gold Coast Hawks became just the fourth franchise to record multiple wooden spoons at the BPL.
It was a week of frustration for the Hawks who again showed flashes of brilliance in epic contests but would ultimately fall in the majority of them.
250 gamer
Aron Sherriff ticked off a major milestone at BPL16, notching up his 250th game in the competition.
Sherriff is one of the most successful players at the competition with an equal record four titles and an astounding five MVP crowns across three franchises.
To put his longevity into perspective, the Moreton Bay Pirates and Sydney Lions both notched up 250 games as teams in the BPL.
1000 games
At BPL16, a special milestone was marked with the 1000th match being played in the opening game of Thursday morning.
