Mixed feelings for Australian contingent
It was a day of mixed emotions for Australia, with two teams progressing to the golden decider, while the other two had their run halted in the semi-finals. It was a day of mixed emotions for the Australian Jackaroos competing at the 19-nation Asia Pacific Championships, with the women’s contingent earning a berth in two gold medal play-offs, while the men’s disciplines were left ruing in the semis.
Natasha Scott was one player who walked off the green buoyant, having been granted a special birthday wish across the ditch by guiding Carla Odgers, Kelsey Cottrell and Anne Johns to the final of the women’s fours discipline, with a comprehensive 30-10 semi-final victory against the host nation, New Zealand.
The quartet will now come up against the United States of America’s Candy DeFazio, Anne Nunes, Janice Bell and Myra Wood in the coveted decider, after they upstaged Malaysia 17-14 in a surprising result.
Karen Murphy was deservedly equally content with how things panned out, having toppled Malaysia’s Siti Zalina Ahmad 21-18 in today’s do-or-die encounter.
Murphy is now one win away from clinching the Asia Pacific Championships singles gold medal to accompany the World Bowls Championships medallion she secured back in 2012, but must face another world champion to earn the honour, in Norfolk Island’s Carmen Anderson.
As a result, Australia is assured of two silver medals from the event at a minimum, but will look to add to the count when they begin sectional rounds again this weekend.
The Jackaroos women will commence their hunt for gold on December 4, with a day of respite granted for all competing players tomorrow and the action switching focus to the men’s singles and fours, and women’s pairs and triples on Sunday.
The men’s team wasn’t as fortunate as the women, with the pairs combination of Ray Pearse and Nathan Rice vanquished by Canada’s Steve Santana and Ryan Bester 11-16, while the triples team of Wayne Ruediger, Mark Casey and Aron Sherriff were defeated by Japan’s Hishuro Sato, Ken Emura, Kenta Hasebe 11-14.
While Australia itself won’t feature in the any of men’s finals decided so far, some of their combatants do call the green and gold nation home.
Broadbeach’s adopted Canadian, Bester, who is the undisputed Australian number one male bowler, will be pitted against Malaysia’s Hizlee Rais and Fairul Muin in both nation’s only final match.
In the triples, Tweed Heads’ members won’t know which team to barrack for on December 5, with club-men Ken Emura and Paul Girdler representing Japan and New Zealand respectively.
Semi-final results and upcoming final matches:
Women’s Singles
Aust 21 def Malaysia 18.
Karan Murphy will play Carmen Anderson (Norfolk Is) in the final.
Men’s Pairs
Aust 11 lost to Canada 16
Canada will play Malaysia in the final.
Men’s Triples
Aust 11 lost to Japan 14
Japan will play New Zealand in the final.
Women’s Fours
Aust 30 def NZ 10
Carla Odgers, Kelsey Cottrell, Anne Johns and Natasha Scott will play USA in final.
