McIlroy goes to the top of the class
Shannon McIlroy reckoned ‘‘all those days wagging school’’ to play bowls have paid off after winning the New Zealand Blackjacks’ second gold medal at the world championships.
An emotional Nelson bowler embraced retiring Blackjacks coach Dave Edwards before hugging his pregnant wife Amy – a former Blackjack herself – after beating Canada’s Commonwealth Games silver medallist Ryan Bester, 21-17 in yesterday’s World Bowls final in Christchurch.
McIlroy’s victory followed the Kiwi fours title triumph under Nelson skip Ali Forsyth on Saturday and helped New Zealand win the Leonard Trophy for the top men’s squad at World Bowls.
National coach Dave Edwards said the entire New Zealand squad had ‘‘exceed our expectations as a coaching group’’ by winning seven medals – two gold, one silver and four bronze – after a pretournament target of five. ‘‘We’re absolutely ecstatic with that.’’
Edwards was very proud of the Blackjacks and noted it was ‘‘a truly satisfying way to go out’’.
His tenure might be ending but he thinks ‘‘the world is now Shannon’s oyster’’ after his fellow Nelsonian became New Zealand’s second singles world champion after Peter Belliss in 1984.
Belliss, a Blackjacks assistantcoach, was among the well wishers to congratulate McIlroy on the side of the Burnside Bowling Club rink.
‘‘That was a special moment,’’ Edwards said. ‘‘Peter is an absolute legend of the game and Shannon appreciated the significance.’’
‘‘Twenty-five years in the game, all those days wagging school going down to the bowling club, I think it’s all paid off,’’ said McIlroy, 29.
The Kiwi champion opened up an early lead but it was neck and neck but the rivals were locked at 6-6 after nine ends.
McIlroy won the 14th end with four shots and followed with three in the 15th to go out to a 17-9 lead which eventually proved insurmountable.
McIlroy said Bester, his close friend he dubbed ‘‘the master blaster’’, could never be counted out. ‘‘I knew I had my work cut out and I had to play pretty well.’’
He said he had ‘‘a purple patch for about six ends in a row where I hardly put a bowl a yard’’ from the jack.
McIlroy, draped in a New Zealand flag, showed plenty of emotion on the top of the medal dais and said later it ‘‘might take a day or two to sink in’’ that he had won a world title.
The New Zealand women’s pair were only a shot or two away from delivering ‘‘the icing’’ on coach Edwards’ farewell cake.
His wife, Jo Edwards, and lead Angela Boyd lost 15-14 to Wales after a nerve-racking final end.
Welsh Jess Sims and lead Laura Daniels made a storming start and clung on to beat Kiwis Jo Edwards and Angela Boyd 16-15.
The Blackjacks pair had clawed their way back into contention after trailing 5-0 after the first three ends and 9-2 at the halfway mark. They trailed the Welsh duo by two shots going into the 18th and final end. Skip Edwards and lead Boyd, a fours bronze medallist, both played superb pressure deliveries to give the Kiwis the two shots they needed to force an extra end.
But Sims, the British under-25 singles champion, held her nerve to sneak inside New Zealand’s second shot bowl and reduce the Kiwis’ advantage to a single shot.
’’Watching Jo’s [last] bowl come up was just torture,’’ Sims said. ’’I knew she wouldn’t be far away.
Jo Edwards and Boyd struggled at times to read the speed of the green, although they never gave up.