Pairs progressing towards the pointy end
The Australian Open’s women’s pairs knockout rounds have taken their toil this morning. Close finishes were tale of the morning at the #AusOpenGC with pressure mounting on Australia’s finest bowlers, as the knockout stages of the women’s pairs got underway.
Three rounds will be played today with the winners of the final game this afternoon booking a place in tomorrow’s quarter-finals.
In the first round Anne Johns and Natasha Scott, playing at Musgrave Hills Bowls Club, gave away a strong start, up 11-1, losing the next seven ends and be one behind going into the last.
Scott, on the final bowl, drove out for two and the Australian Jackaroo pair won 13-12 against Karen Gatto and Deb Fry.
Fellow Jackaroos Rebecca Van Asch and Chloe Stewart were also down by two at the last end against Deborah Quick and Chris Myers.
The Australian pair, who play each other in the first round of the singles knockout on June 22, only won six ends the entire match but managed to get three on the final end to escape 15-14
Former Scottish international Kay Moran and Australia’s most capped representative Karen Murphy, the 2011 pairs winners, played another close game against Debbie Logan and Christine Baxter.
Going into the final end they were two up but down at the head and it wasn’t until Murphy drove and took one out that they secured the win 11-10. Reigning champions Emma Brown and Noelene Dutton ensured their defence was on track with a huge win against Malaysia’s Commonwealth Games gold medallist Siti Zalina Ahmad and her partner Azlina Arshad 14-12.
The second round saw fellow Jackaroos and Australian bowling elite pitted against each other as the stakes continued to grow.
In a match that could be seen as a passing of the guard NSW NTC squad young-guns Dawn Hayman and Jamie-Lee Worsnop, Australia’s youngest ever Australian Indoor Championships winner, defeated 2012 pairs winner Elise Cowan and Jackaroos Carla Odgers 11-9.
The third and final round of the day, beginning at 2.15pm, will be one for the ages in matches that could decide the eventual winner.
In a battle of titans, that will see champion battle champion, Anne Johns and Natasha Scott have drawn Kelsey Cottrell and Lynsey Clarke.
In the other mouth watering match-up the defending champions, Emma Brown and Noelene Dutton, will have to be at their very best if they wish to have a chance to repeat, as they face-off against Chloe Stewart and Rebecca Van Asch.
Click here to view all the results from the women’s pairs knockout rounds.
