Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort in Ovens and Murray Bowls decider

The visitors won a thriller, 74 shots to 68.

YMGCR will now contest the decider on March 26, with Wangaratta to host Wodonga in the preliminary final.

Wodonga also won a crackerjack contest against Benalla, 80-72.

YMGCR won half of the four rinks, while Wangaratta snared one, while the other was tied.

The visitors won the first rink by eight shots, which proved pivotal.

Lead Garry Saunders, second Andrew Lefevre, third Rod Jones and James Lefevre proved too strong for Greg Braden, Paul King, Laurence McDonald and Ian Brimblecombe.

"We all bowled pretty consistently the four of us, there were no real standouts, it was just a really good team effort by not only us, but the entire team," Andrew Lefevre offered.

The visitors also won the second rink 24-18, but the favourites pegged the deficit back with an eight-shot win.

The final rink couldn't be separated as YMGCR held its early advantage for a stunning upset.

Wangaratta had posted 13 wins and a draw during the regular season, while the outsiders had lost only two matches.

Meanwhile, Wodonga won three of the four rinks against Benalla.

The second rink proved the difference as the home team snared a seven-shot win.

Lead David Smith, second David King, third Stephen Coulston and skip Mason Bayliss were instrumental in Wodonga's overall win, claiming a 22-15 win.

It was the only rink outside a two-shot margin.

However, Benalla's lead Yvonne Capp, second Bill Armstrong, third Darren Salan and skip Sharon Warfe produced strong form of their own, but Wodonga just had too much on that individual rink.

Wodonga captured the first rink by a solitary shot and the third by two, while Benalla staged a fightback to pip Wodonga on the fourth rink by two.

Lead Brendan Rettke, second Karen Nicholls, third Kerri Leask and skip Peter Brock played their part in reducing the margin, snaring a 19-17 win.

Wodonga has been a long-time powerhouse in Ovens and Murray, but it will start underdogs for one of the few times in recent years when it travels to Wangaratta.

The entire four rinks will need to be at their best, or close to it, as Wangaratta will be enormously motivated not to bow out in straight sets after such a dominant regular season.

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But Wodonga had only three losses during the home and away season, so it too will take confidence into the clash.

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