ON SIGHT: St Michael's Ange Nitschke. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
PENNANT action returned with a bang on Saturday, after Australia Day celebrations saw the cancellation of several matches last weekend.
Ladder-leader St Michaels posted a crushing win over Central Park Red, winning 11 of the 14 sets on offer.
The St Michaels women were particularly dominant, winning all five of their doubles rubbers.
Ange Nitschke narrowly missed out on completing a sweep of the Central Park women, losing her singles rubber to Breanna McPhee 9-7.
Central Park Red slipped outside the top four after the loss, with Horsham Lawn Savage vaulting past them with a win over Lawn Bardell.
Rachel Ivess was the best of the Savage women, posting wins in all of her rubbers.
It was a tight contest all day, with Bardell winning more games, but losing the set count 6-8.
In the two other pennant matches, Kalkee easily accounted for bottom side Central Park Blue, while second-placed Drung South was never troubled in its win over Haven.
In A Special competition, Horsham Lawn O'Connor kept its top-two aspirations alive with a convincing win over Central Park.
O'Connor won all of its singles rubbers and was rarely troubled in the doubles.
Top side Drung South dominated Horsham Lawn Massey to post its 13th win of the season in an 11-sets-to-three victory.
South's women were particularly impressive, refusing to drop a single rubber for the day.
Brimpaen cruised to a win over Noradjuha in the final A Special fixture.
In A Grade action, St Michaels saw off Drung South to cement its top of the ladder position.
Despite the valiant efforts of the South women - who triumphed in all of their doubles rubbers - the visitors were unable to overcome the strong St Michaels outfit.
Kalkee won comfortably at home, while Homers lost to Central Park in a scrappy affair.
Horsham Lawn was defeated at home by Laharum.
B Special competition saw some entertaining matches, as top side Brimpaen tied with fourth-placed Haven Black.
Brimpaen's men competed well in doubles action, while the Haven women dominated their rubbers to leave the final scores locked at six sets and 81 games apiece.
In other fixtures, Laharum Red defeated bottom-placed Laharum Blue, while Horsham Lawn did it easy against Natimuk.
Drung South-Horsham Lutheran scored a relatively easy victory over Haven Green to close out the round, winning eight sets to four, to remain within striking distance of top spot on the ladder.
