NURIOOTPA became the second team this Barossa & Light Bowling Association season to beat league-leaders and reigning premiers Angaston, defending its home green in a razor-close 93-91 triumph.
Splitting the rinks 2-2, it was truly a game of inches with the Nuri four of Hanika Booth, Bob Randall, Robert Grope and Brenton Brown deciding the outcome with their 24-18 frame – the widest margin of any rink.
Lyndoch made sure not to waste its opportunity to pull even with Angaston in the win column, registering its 12th of the season with a 115-89 win at Freeling.
The home crew led by Alex Bryan salvaged two consolation points with a 19-26 rink win, but the remaining frames went to Lyndoch, including a 38-17 from the four of Susanne Drummond, Bob Howell, Tony Drummond and Matthew Jones.
Kapunda moved into the top-four with a 102-78 away win against likely wooden-spooners Eudunda, taking three of the four rinks on offer.
The best performance came from the Kapunda crew of Charmaine Hansen, Mick Ryan, Kevin Absolom and Donald Mackereth, winning 26-14.
Division 2a saw the leading pair of Tanunda and Angaston continue to set the pace, taking home wins against Lyndoch (87-56) and Freeling (80-59) respectively to pull five games clear of third-placed Kapunda.
Tanunda managed to extend its lead on Angaston from two premiership points to four by sweeping the three rinks, while Angaston conceded one frame in its win.
Division 2b is still up for grabs, with Angaston assuming pole position heading into the penultimate round after beating Tanunda 74-50, relegating Tanunda to fourth in the five-team competition, but still less than a full game behind first.
Nuriootpa jumped up to second with a win against Freeling, which with two wins is the only team out of the finals picture.
In division three, Tanunda kept its spot atop the ladder with a 72-43 win over Freeling, including a 30-11 frame from Neil Slater’s four, while Nuriootpa (73-44) and Angaston (63-52) both registered wins to establish the trio with a gap to the rest of the field.