NZ triple pipped for gold as history repeats
GOLD COAST: Para bowlers Barry Wynks and Mark Noble were hit with a strong sense of deja vu after winning silver in their open triples final against Australia at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Along with Bruce Wakefield, they were pipped by a single shot on the last end at Broadbeach Bowls Club, the Aussies sneaking home to take two shots and steal B6/B7/B8 gold with a 1413 win.
After seven ends, the Kiwi trio trailed 310 but by the 13th had fought back to lead 1312.
‘‘We probably thought we just about had them there,’’ skip Noble said afterwards.
‘‘We virtually held the game and lost it on the last bowl.’’
Four years ago in Glasgow, Wynks and Noble had combined with Lynda Bennett to make the same final, only to be pipped 1311 by South Africa.
The narrow loss was no easier this time around, Wynks admitted.
‘‘At
Glasgow, I remember us saying if we knew beforehand we were going to get silver we would have been happy — but when we did get silver, we weren’t.
‘‘Mark and I especially are probably feeling the same this time. It’s nice, but it isn’t. We were the only losers on the dais,’’ Wynks said.
‘‘We were only going for gold.’’
Earlier, Shannon McIlroy was tipped out in the men’s singles quarterfinals by England’s Robert Paxton.
The 31yearold painter and decorator took an early 40 lead but by the 17th end the steady Englishman had a 1710 lead.
McIlroy went on a charge to bring the score back to 1617.
However, on the 23rd end Paxton got his momentum back when he knocked McIlroy’s bowl out to pick up two points and he went on to close out the match 2116 in the following end.
The men’s fours of Mike Nagy, Blake Signal, Paul Girdler and Ali Forsyth beat Wales 1110 in section play, but were thumped 202 by England in the quarter finals. — NZN