First champions of the Open crowned as Bowlers with a Disability singles kicks off with a bang!
In a fantastic day of bowls, five of the six disciplines have crowned a new champion, with only North Toowoomba’s Nathan Appleton able to defend his 2015 title in the Intellectual Disability Mixed Pairs. The first champions of the 2016 Australian Open have been crowned, with the Bowlers with a Disability singles finals being run and won today at Musgrave Hill. In a fantastic day of bowls, five of the six disciplines have crowned a new champion, with only North Toowoomba’s Nathan Appleton able to defend his 2015 title in the Intellectual Disability Mixed Pairs.
Appleton defeated Somerville bowler Brendan Elliott in a closely fought final 21-17 to clinch the North Dalby bowlers’ second consecutive Intellectual Disability Singles title. Appleton will now look to do the double with his Multi Disability Pairs partner Josh Barry (Sebastopol), who has also continued a stellar Australian Open so far (having also made the knockouts of the Men’s Fours) with victory today in the Physical Disability Men’s Singles, defeating 2014 Commonwealth Games representative Tony Bonnell (Pine Rivers) 21-11 in the final.
In the Physical Disability Women’s Singles, it was an all New Zealand affair with Carolyn Crawford from St Clair defeating Pam Walker from Fairfield 21-7, capping off a great event for New Zealand’s disability bowls team affectionately dubbed the “Wobblies”.
2015 Hearing Impaired champion Brian Taylor (Logan City) was unable to defend his title, going down to fellow Queenslander Barry Lynne (Mareeba) 21-11 in the Hearing Impaired Mixed Singles final.
It was a similar story for fellow 2015 champion and 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Joy Forster (Chermside), who also went down in the Vision Impaired Women’s Singles to Thuringowa City’s Lynne Seymour 21-8.
Over in the Vision Impaired Men’s Singles, it was UK bowler Carl Fountain downing Dennis Wormald (Narangba) 21-4 in a rematch of their sectional match which Fountain won narrowly by one shot. This completes a fantastic week for Carl, having progressed into the knockouts of both the Men’s Singles and Pairs.
The Bowlers with a Disability finals conclude tomorrow at Broadbeach Bowls Club, with the quarter finals, semi finals and finals of the Multi Disability Pairs and the final of the Vision Impaired Pairs.
Full Results (finals):
Hearing Impaired Mixed Singles: Barry Lynne (Mareeba, QLD) def Brian Taylor (Logan City, QLD) 21-11
Intellectual Disability Mixed Singles: Nathan Appleton (North Toowoomba, QLD) def Brendan Elliott (Somerville, VIC) 21-17
Physical Disability Men’s Singles: Josh Barry (Sebastopol, VIC) def Tony Bonnell (Pine Rivers, QLD) 21-11
Physical Disability Women’s Singles: Carolyn Crawford (St Clair, NZ) def Pam Walker (Fairfield, NZ)
Vision Impaired Men’s Singles: Carl Fountain (Dolphin Indoor, UK) def Dennis Wormald (Narangba, QLD) 21-4
Vision Impaired Women’s Singles: Lynne Seymour (Thuringowa City, NSW) def Joy Forster (Chermside, QLD) 21-8
