Open slather for Wilsons
Australia’s richest bowls event was run and won last week at the Darebin International Sports Complex just outside Melbourne, as Clive Adams reports for the Sunday Times (Perth). Last year it Victoria’s Aaron Wilson was celebrating following his Australian Open singles victory over WA’s Matthew Ayres. While the name Wilson will once again be etched on the biggest trophy in the game, this year it was Aaron’s 20-year-old brother Nathan who claimed the title. Few could argue against Wilson deserving the crown, with wins over Scottish world champion Graeme Archer, Adelaide Endurance star Scott Thulborn and NSW’s singles champion Ray Pearse on the way to the final. In the final match, Wilson faced world champion and Perth Suns representative Brett Wilkie with the former winning 21 -19. In the pairs, Victoria’s Ray Jansen and Graeme Spry advanced to the final with a win over WA’s Dave Rankin and Clive Adams. The match came down to the final bowl with the WA duo holding three shots for the game, only to see Jansen’s bowl, which was heavy, crash into the shot bowl at just the right angle to stay for shot and eliminate the Perth team. Jansen and Spry, who progressed largely on the great form of the former, who continually played the big shots throughout the tournament couldn’t do the same in the final losing 22 -11 to NSW pair, Andrew Rees and Brendon Baker. The men’s fours also went the way of New South Wales with Michael Cronin, Simon Mitchell, Brodie Turner and Jim Dimopoulous taking the title in a nailbiting final end against a South Australian quartet. Scottish born Anne Johns is the women’s singles champion after a brilliant display throughout the week. Johns went into the final against Australian team captain and former winner Lynsey Clarke. Johns skipped out early to lead 17 -6, but Clarke then staged a remarkable fightback to get within a taste of victory. The fightback ended too soon and Johns closed out a 21 -19 victory. Johns and Armitage combined earlier in the day, together with Rebecca Van Asch and Kelsey Cottrell to claim the women’s fours title in a magnificent match. A strong WA contingent struggled on the first day with many of the singles hopes bowing out in the first round in close matches. The WA contingent didn’t come to terms with the transition to the slow greens quickly enough. Rankin was impressive in the men’s singles, defeating world superstar Aron Sherriff in the second round, before finding Pearse too tough in the last 16. The women’s fours combination of Kristina Krstic, Rechelle Cole, Laura Merz and Victorian Chloe Stewart also lost in the semi-finals. In the mixed pairs event, Allan Jones and Nerrida Porteous were WA’s best, defeating the fancied combination of Leif Selby and Natalie Noronha in the first round. The pair made the semis and Jones had a chance to take that match to an extra end with his final bowl, but despite playing a brilliant shot, they lost the measure.
