2020 Australian Champion of Champions day one wrap
The female BCiB Australian Jackaroos contingent stand above the field after the opening day of play at the 2020 Australian Champion of Champions, at Dandenong Club in Melbourne’s South East.
Both Dawn Hayman and Carla Krizanic find themselves undefeated after the first day, holding the top two positions on the table respectively, with fellow national representatives Chloe Stewart and Rebecca Van Asch in third and fourth respectively.
Defending champion Hayman stormed to her opening victory against South Australia’s Jackie Field, taking the match 21-10, while Stewart hung on to clinch an epic over Van Asch 21-18.
Following a bye in the inaugural session, Krizanic faced the Northern Territory’s Bronwyn Hagger, who claimed a first up win over the ACT’s Chloe Morrison 21-20.
It was the Katherine Bowls Club member who got the early ascendancy, possessing a chance to take a 9-2 lead before the Commonwealth Games gold medallist lifted to emerge victorious 21-12.
Tasmanian Van Asch was able to overcome a strong fight from Field to secure her first win 21-20, while Hayman proved too strong for Stewart with a 21-15 win.
Stewart rebounded quickly, dispatching Field 21-2 in her third encounter, with Krizanic comfortably accounting for Morrison to remain unbeaten.
On the next rink Hayman was locked in an intense battle with Van Asch before saluting 21-20 and easing past Hagger 21-4 in her final match-up for the first day.
Krizanic finished the fourth round of fixtures with a statement, conquering Stewart 21-7 to head into the second day in a prime position to add to her 2016 Champion of Champion of Champions crown.
In the men’s competition, Northern Territory’s Trystan Smallacombe and New South Wales’ Corey Wedlock head the standings following the opening day, with the former gaining the upper hand in the final clash of the day.
With both players undefeated leading into this afternoon’s final encounter, it was Smallacombe who firmly entrench himself at the top of the table heading into the business end of the event, with a 21-14 victory over the reigning International Bowler of the Year.
Both powered through their opening encounters, with Smallacombe overcoming the ACT’s Jamie Reynolds 21-10 and Victorian Rhys Jeffs 21-9, while Wedlock defeated South Australian Adrian Green 21-5 before another big 21-12 win over Queenslander Ben Walsh.
However, Wedlock’s third matchup was far from easy, with the Jackaroo superbly drawing four shots on the final end to snatch an epic 21-20 victory from Tasmanian Taelyn Male.
Male himself jostled Ben Walsh in their opening match, holding on for a 21-17 victory before falling to Adrian Green 21-18 in the second round.
Walsh claimed a substantial 21-7 victory over Green before falling to Victorian Rhys Jeffs, who produced a stunning comeback to round out the day with a 21-20 victory.
Click HERE for the full results from day one. Be sure to tune into Rinkside Live tomorrow from 8:30am AEDT for coverage of the final day’s action, all on the BA Facebook page.
