But Lawn kept proceedings on an even footing, as August Koch and Mitch Fromm beat St Michaels’ Peter Hayes and Archer Reading 8-5, while Emma Streeter and Chrisy Holmes downed Violet McGennisken and Barb Crough 8-2.

Bailey and Hayes kept the momentum up for St Michaels in their singles rubbers, with Bailey defeating Walls in an 8-7 tiebreak and Hayes outduelling Koch 8-4.

However the Lawn women knotted up the scores again, as Thompson beat Rees 8-4 and Streeter blanked McGennisken 8-0.

The match-up turned firmly in Lawn’s favour thereafter, with the visitors winning each of the final six doubles rubbers.

The result all but guaranteed a second-place finish for Lawn on the ladder. 

With five rounds remaining when play resumes on January 31, the reigning premiers trail undefeated ladder-leader Central Park by four wins, while they are now four wins ahead of third-placed St Michaels, with Kalkee fourth.

Other grades

The association’s other grades also played their final matches before the break, with Horsham Lawn O’Connor earning intra-club bragging rights over Horsham Lawn Dorman with a crushing 14-112 to 0-51 A Special result.

But the win was not enough to vault Lawn O’Connor to top spot on the ladder, with Central Park hanging onto its perch thanks to a 10-sets-to-four win over third-placed Brimpaen. 

Meanwhile fifth-placed Drung South kept itself in the finals hunt by downing bottom side Natimuk 9-91 to 5-63.

A Grade saw Haven Red and Homers win their respective matches against St Michaels and Horsham Lawn McGennisken by forfeit, with Central Park retaining its place atop the ladder thanks to an 8-78 to 4-63 win over Haven Blue and Horsham Lawn Tigers downing Horsham Lawn Ahern 9-80 to 3-61 in another intra-club meeting.

Ladder-leader Laharum was the beneficiary of a forfeit from Natimuk in B Special, with second-placed Horsham Lawn Savage taking care of fellow finals aspirant Central Park 11 sets to five, and Haven downing Horsham Lawn Bardell 13-3. 

 

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