Sunshine VRI has the pedal to the metal

Steve Tucker fires down a bowl for the red hot Sunshine VRI team. Picture Damjan Janevski

Sunshine VRI is the side no one wants to face in the Bowls Victoria division 3.

After a rocky start to the season, VRI has rattled off six wins from eight matches to be in fifth place and knocking on the door of finals.

Any questions marks over VRI’s validity as a finals contender were put to bed on Saturday when the team took down ladder leader Hoppers Crossing 86-84 in a nail-biter at Kent Street.

VRI yielded 14 points from two rink wins and moved to within 10 competition points of second spot.

The rampaging VRI has the chance to close the gap further when it meets second-placed Altona at home on Saturday.

In division 2, Keilor was outplayed by Port Melbourne in all bar one rink in a 107-71 loss.

The result leaves fourth-placed Keilor susceptible to raids on its position in the four.

Keilor will face one of the sides hot on its heels, sixth-placed Flemington & Kensington, away on Saturday.

In division 4, Sunshine City remains odds-on for the wooden spoon after six straight losses.

City claimed two rinks against Strathmore, but still went down 90-64.

St Albans is faring only slightly better than City in second last.

The Saints had a heartbreaking four-shot loss to Hoppers Crossing, despite taking two rinks.

In division 5, Sunshine RSL lost by seven shots to Altona in a mid-table clash.