World Team Cup – Day 4

Some telling bowls under pressure from Ireland ’s Jeremy Henry has given his team the all-important opening rubber in the World Team Cup semi-final clash with England .

Henry and team-mate Ian McClure clawed their way back from a seven shot first set deficit to claim the contest in a tie-breaker 3-10, 10-5, 4-3 at the Tweed Heads Bowls Club this afternoon (20/5).

England ’s Nicky Brett and Robert Newman battled valiantly throughout the tie-breaker but could not counter Henry’s brilliance.

On the opening end of the shoot-out Henry played a perfect running shot with his last delivery to turn a one shot advantage into a count of three.

The former world singles champion then backed that up on the next end with a stunning draw shot to the ditch for a single and a 4-0 lead.

“ England played very well in the first set and we just hung in there early in the second and gradually started to turn things around,” Henry said.

“The whole game was tight even though the set scores don’t really show that.

“It’s a huge win as it gives us two bites of the cherry.

“It puts a lot of pressure on you when you lose the pairs and now that pressure is on the English team.”

The World Team Cup semi-final is decided by three rubbers with the singles scheduled for Tuesday morning and the triples for Wednesday afternoon.

In the women’s event, Australia ’s Julie Keegan was beaten by New Zealand ’s Val Smith 12-7, 7-7 in the opening rubber of the last of the preliminary round-robin matches this afternoon (20/5).

The clash with New Zealand means little in terms of final standings but an enormous amount in gaining an upper-hand psychologically with Australia to meet the Kiwis in the final.

Australia wrapped-up top place on the standings late last night (19/5), recording its fifth win in as many matches with a 2-1 result over the south-east Asia Invitational line-up.

The pairing of sixteen year-old Kelsey Cottrell and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Karen Murphy appears to be a brilliant move by Australian selectors as the duo kept their unbeaten record intact with a 13-11, 12-3 win.

Julie Keegan then stepped up in the singles, coming from behind to defeat Mita Witheridge 8-10, 7-5, 4-0.

The south-east Asian combination took some solace from a 10-4, 10-8 win in the ‘dead’ triples rubber.

After six rounds Australia sits comfortably on top the standings with 10 points, a game a head of New Zealand on 8 points, followed by Malaysia and the English invitational side both on 6.  

Day Session - 20 May 2007

MEN: 

First Semi-Final (incomplete): 

Pairs: I McClure J Henry (Ire) bt N Brett R Newman (Eng) 3-10, 10-5, 4-3.

WOMEN: 

Rd 7 (incomplete): 

Singles: V Smith (Nzl) bt J Keegan (Aus) 12-7, 7-7

Pairs: K Hawes C Popple (Eng Inv) bt D McNally M Cunningham (Ire) 8-8 9-5.

Evening Session - 20 May 2007

WOMEN: Rd 7 (incomplete) 

Pairs: K Dawson M Letham (Sco) bt R Shek R Greenless (SEA Inv) 9-6 14-2.