Blackjacks start well
On an interprovincial roll
especially after last year and we have come back with a good new team so we are certainly hoping for the best this week,” said Keh.
Auckland have outstanding balance with New Zealand amateur champion Rose Zheng in the No 1 position after a near-perfect start to the golfing summer.
Although their dominance was clear, they will not be taking any teams lightly.
“Every team is challenging and you have to take one match at a time and never under-estimate anyone, so hopefully we can continue that thought process and slowly build some good team performances,” Keh said.
Defending champions Canterbury also showed class with a notable 4-1 victory over Otago after a first-round bye.
Bay of Plenty, 2015 semifinalists, showed they are ready to take on the title, earning a clean sweep of their own against a solid Tasman side.
Wellington also secured two hardfought wins over Manawatu/ Wanganui and home side Taranaki to continue the winning momentum of golf in the Wellington region after a historic win from the men’s side at New Plymouth Golf Club last week. The Blackjacks have made a great start to week two of the World Bowls Championships in Christchurch with all four disciplines progressing through the opening day unbeaten.
Having won bronze medals in all four disciplines in the first week of the tournament, the New Zealand side is desperate to get to the post section stage but turn some bronze into gold this week.
Shannon McIlroy enjoyed three wins in the men’s singles — beating Tony Cheung, of Hong Kong, 21-17, Abd Rahman HJ. Omar, from Brunei, 21-10, and Loukas Paraskeua, of Cyprus, 21-19.
In the men’s fours, the New Zealand team of Mike Nagy, Mike Kernaghan, Blake Signal and Ali Forsyth recorded wins over Israel (26-6), Canada (13-9) and Fiji 25-5.
The women’s pair of Angela Boyd and Jo Edwards had a 28-9 win over Cyprus, a 19-14 win over the Philippines and a 24-7 win over the impressive Australian combination of Karen Murphy and Kelsey Cottrell — both gold medallists in week one. The women’s triples of Katelyn Inch, Kirsten Edwards and Val Smith enjoyed a 21-11 win over Namibia, a 17-15 win over Hong Kong and 26-10 over China. FOOTBALL NFL