2024 Australian Indoor Championships: Finals wrap
After a sensational week Kelsey Cottrell entered her name into the Australian Indoor Champions history books once again while Jack McShane produced yet another incredible result to clinch his maiden title at Club Tweed on Thursday.
Women’s singles
Cottrell and her Right at Home Jackaroo teammate Chloe Stewart would lock horns once again at national level and the match would deliver some of the best shots of the tournament.
The 2022 champion was in fine touch from the outset, securing a multiple in the opening end to gain a strong foothold on the contest.
The next four ends produced singles as Stewart levelled the set at 3-3 to the delight of the adoring Club Tweed crowd.
Cottrell would ramp up the pressure however, netting a huge four before running away with a 9-4 set win in just eight ends.
The second stanza saw the Helensvale product take a 2-1 buffer after two before Stewart went on a glittering run that saw her storm to an 11-2 victory to force a decisive tiebreak.
After holding shot in the first end of the deciding three, the home club hero looked to continue her run, but Cottrell had other ideas to nail her final two bowls and score a vital three.
From there she gained control of the second exchange to leave her opponent with it all to do with her final delivery.
Down two and game at the head, Stewart would be forced to play weight to save her title hopes but drifted a touch wide as Cottrell became the third female to win the tournament on multiple occasions after Karen Murphy AM AND Rebecca Van Asch.
Women’s final: Kelsey Cottrell def Chloe Stewart 9-4, 2-11, 5-0
Men’s singles
Jack McShane continued his meteoric rise in the upper echelons of the Australian bowls landscape on Thursday, taking out his maiden Australian Indoor title at Club Tweed.
The 19-year-old Merrylands star had to get past Jackaroos stalwart Corey Wedlock in the second men’s semi final in the morning session, doing so impressively.
Three collects of three helped McShane to an 11-6 first set win, with the second set much more hard fought.
Wedlock would fall just short, going down 7-6 in the second set to see the McShane advance to the decider.
Three-time champion Jeremy Henry awaited McShane in the final, the last match of the 2024 instalment of the event at Club Tweed.
Leading 8-1 after five ends, McShane held off a barnstorming Henry late in the first set to take the advantage 8-7.
He took the early lead again in the second set, leading 4-1 after three ends.
Henry used all of his experience to work back into the contest, but the Australian Open pairs champion held his nerve, leading by two with two ends to play.
A slice of fortune delivered McShane victory on the eighth end of the second set, with Henry collecting the jack too sweetly to drop a two and fall short 8-4.
Men’s final: Jack McShane def Jeremy Henry 8-7, 8-4
