Day 1 – Australian Sides Championships
Tasmania’s first round encounter on Day one of the Australian Sides Championships ended with mixed results for the Apple Isle, as the women came away with an amazing 2 shot victory over Queensland, however the men were only able to claim one rink win but dropped the overall. The rink of Adam White, Scott Summers, Tim Douce and Michael Sims were the only victors for Tasmania with a win over Nathan Rice’s rink, but not enough to claim overall honours.
The start of the Australian Sides also saw three Tasmanian’s make their debut at an Open level, with Kiara Daly, Alex Elwell and Lee Schraner don their first cap for the Tigers. They were presented with their caps by Tasmanian legend Leigh Bishop who was a former Australian Representative and also a former Australian Bowls Council President. Please see a photo of this presentation in the slide show at the bottom of the page.
The Tassie women started in great fashion with early leads on all three rinks, however Australian Captain Lynsey Clarke and her rink proved too strong for that of Rebecca Van Asch’s young rink with Erin Sesara, Kiara Daly and Mikayla Baker claiming a 10 shot victory. Van Asch’s rink finished four ends before the other two rinks which allowed them to consider the deficit and push for the overall. With both Jenny Redshaw’s rink and Gaylene Elsworthy’s rink playing their last ends almost in time with one another the overall scores were locked at 61 all. Redshaw’s rink of Kim Saunders, Leonie Price and Maureen Zoon finished first to get up by 1 shot. Then Elsworthy’s rink finished a couple of bowls behind to also claim one and give the first win to Tasmania 63-61.
Unfortunately the women couldn’t back up that result in the afternoons match against Victoria. Despite having won the French Holbrook Series against them in December the Victorian sides proved too strong claiming wins on two rinks against Van Asch and Redshaw and winning overall. Elsworthy’s rink of Deb Lee, Nicole Smith and Rae Simpson where the girls only shinning light claiming a solitary rink win against the Big V.
The men also found the going tough against the strong Victorian men’s outfit skipped by Australian Commonwealth Games Representative Matthew Flapper, former Australian Open Champions Aaron Wilson, and long time Victorian Representative Wayne Roberts. Former Victorian turned Tasmanian Lee Schraner was a welcome addition to the ranks with his team of Mark Strochnetter, Chris Dudman and Aaron Page stopping a white wash with a draw against Roberts rink.
