Australia’s triple threat at the World Cup
Englishman David Holt will join Northern Ireland international Jeremy Henry as Australia’s representative in this month’s Bowls World Cup hosted by Warilla Bowling Club, Mike Driscoll reports for the Illawarra Mercury .
Two-time defending champion Henry has retained his automatic spot in the Australian men’s team and is joined by England’s Holt who won the World Cup qualifying event, the Australian Indoor at Tweed Heads.
Holt plays for St Johns Park, while in the women’s draw, his Sydney clubmate Jamie-Lee Worsnop at age 17 became the youngest male or female winner of the Australian Indoor.
Worsnop takes the place of Shell Cove-based Karen Murphy, who missed out on winning her fourth straight Australian Indoor crown, after also winning the event in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
The Bowls World Cup runs from April 15 to finals day on April 23. It is the 10th straight year Warilla has hosted the international event to feature leading players from 21 nations.
The top class field includes New Zealand superstars Ali Forsyth and Jo Edwards and players representing countries including Canada, Ireland, Japan, Scotland, the United States and South Africa.
South Coast-based Murphy and Henry have been Australia’s World Cup representatives the past three years, with the Warilla event one of the few big tournaments Murphy has yet to win.
Meanwhile, Holt is a former England international and 2002 Commonwealth Games fours gold medallist, who like Northern Ireland’s world champion Henry, calls Australia home.
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Holt came to Australia in 2002 and after playing extensively on the indoor rinks in England was surprised it had taken himself 12 years to win a major indoor event in Australia by claiming the Australian Indoor.
Holt sealed his spot alongside Henry as Australia’s World Cup reps by beating Queenslander Brett Wilkie in a tie-break third set final of the Australian Indoor.
Meanwhile, Murphy’s reign at the Australian Indoor had extended an incredible 1455 days before being ousted in the quarter-finals by debutant Janine Katon from the Aberdeen BC in mid-west NSW.
Katon qualified for the Australian Indoor through the Warilla qualification event mid-way through 2014, using new bowls bought just five days earlier and unused in a tournament.
