KIWIS FIGHT BACK BUT AUS RETAIN THE TROPHY

The Scotty’s Meat NZ PBA team fought back hard on day 2 of the 2017 PBA Trans-Tasman Challenge at the Deer Park Bowls Club in Melbourne sweeping round 5 with 5-0 whitewash of the Aussies which meant the preliminary rounds were the closest in the 8 year history of the event 13 matches to 12 in the home team’s favour. However, the Australian PBA held on in the best of three match finals to retain the trophy they won in Hastings last year. Two of the final matches were won in straight sets by the green and gold with David Holt showing his class beating Bart Robertson to become the overall Australasian champion 9-3, 11-2, and Dylan Fisher accounting for Murray Glassey 12-9, 12-3. The bright spot in the finals was Andrew Kelly for the kiwis taking out a thriller over Garry Ball 5-6, 10-5, 2-1. Kelly had been the only kiwi to beat Holt through the preliminaries.

Kelly had taken a while to get going first thing in the morning handing Barrie Lester his only win of the tournament but came back strong to beat Holt in round 5, and the Ball in the playoffs. That loss cost Kelly the top spot amongst the Scotty Meat’s NZ PBA team with Robertson picking up two wins over Carla Krizanic and Fisher. Craig Merrilees also had a good day breaking his duck from the previous day with two wins over Fisher and Lester.

Robertson finishing as the top kiwi means he keeps his place in the team for 2018 along with the top four ranked players in the NZ PBA Year End rankings to be finalised at Finals Weekend at the new Naenae complex in Wellington September 8-10th. Only one win separated all five kiwis in a solid all-round team performance.

Results from Day 2 of the PBA Trans-Tasman Challenge:

Round 4:

David Holt (Aus) bt Murray Glassey (NZ) 9-8, 10-7; Garry Ball (Aus) bt Laurie Guy (NZ) 9-8, 10-3; Bart Robertson (NZ) bt Carla Krizanic (Aus) 8-7, 6-9, 2-1; Craig Merrilees (NZ) bt Dylan Fisher (Aus) 7-9, 10-5, 2-0; Barrie Lester (Aus) bt Andrew Kelly (NZ) 14-5, 7-6.
Australia won the round 3-2

Round 5:

Kelly (NZ) bt Holt (Aus) 9-9, 10-4; Glassey (NZ) bt Ball (Aus) 15-4, 4-15, 2-1; Guy (NZ) bt Krizanic (Aus) 6-10, 9-7, 2-0; Robertson (NZ) bt Fisher (Aus) 6-5, 3-13, 2-1; Merrilees (NZ) bt Lester (Aus) 5-10, 8-3, 2-1.
NZ won the round 5-0

Placings:
(Aus) Holt 4 wins; Ball 3 wins 8 sets; Fisher 3 wins 7 sets; Krizanic 2 wins; Lester 1 win
(NZ) Robertson 3 wins 4 sets; Kelly 3 wins 3.5 sets; Glassey 2 wins 4.5 sets; Guy 2 wins 3 sets; Merrilees 2 wins 2.5 sets.

Finals:

5th-6th: Fisher (Aus) bt Glassey (NZ) 12-9, 12-3
3rd-4th: Kelly (NZ) bt Ball (Aus) 5-6, 10-5, 2-1
Final: Holt (Aus) bt Robertson (NZ) 9-3, 11-2

AUSSIES HAVE UPPER HAND ON DAY 1

There were plenty of close matches on day 1 of the 2017 PBA Trans-Tasman Challenge at the Deer Park Bowls Club in Melbourne but the Australian PBA has come out on top in all three rounds over the Scotty’s Meats NZ PBA team. The best performed kiwi was the last to fly in with Andrew Kelly (Canterbury) unable to take the practice days off work. The 29-year old has impressed since his return to the PBA circuit in NZ over the last three seasons and has continued his form in his debut appearance in this annual challenge between the two Professional Bowls Association branches. Kelly beat Australian’s Garry Ball and Carla Krizanic in the first two rounds before tiring late in the day.

Bart Robertson (North Harbour), Laurie Guy (Wellington) and Murray Glassey (Hawkes Bay) all took a win off Australia’s Barrie Lester. Lester withdrew from last year’s PBA Challenge in Hastings before making his debut in this year’s event in Melbourne but the World Bowls Triples and Fours silver medallist will be looking for a better day tomorrow. Craig Merrilees (Southland) played five very tight sets without managing to win one.

The latest NZ PBA rankings have not been released after the weekend’s qualifying events in New Zealand however Robertson and Guy will likely need to win both matches tomorrow to finish as the top kiwi and maintain their positions in the Scotty’s Meats NZ PBA team for next year’s Challenge.

This year is the eighth year the Challenge has been played with the Australian PBA currently holding a 4-3 advantage. Five preliminary rounds decide the top three players from each team who then play off in a best of three match series to decide which team take the trophy.

Results from Day 1 of the PBA Trans-Tasman Challenge:
Round 1:
David Holt (Aus) bt Craig Merrilees (NZ) 6-5, 6-6; Andrew Kelly (NZ) bt Garry Ball (Aus) 14-1, 3-11, 2-1; Carla Krizanic (Aus) bt Murray Glassey (NZ) 11-6, 7-7; Dylan Fisher (Aus) bt Laurie Guy (NZ) 11-6, 10-5; Bart Robertson (NZ) bt Barrie Lester (Aus) 7-5, 7-7.
Australia won the round 3-2

Round 2:
David Holt (Aus) bt Bart Robertson (NZ) 12-4, 6-6; Garry Ball (Aus) bt Craig Merrilees (NZ) 7-6, 12-2; Andrew Kelly (NZ) bt Carla Krizanic (Aus) 6-8, 10-5, 2-1; Dylan Fisher (Aus) bt Murray Glassey (NZ) 16-6, 4-9, 2-1; Laurie Guy (NZ) bt Barrie Lester (Aus) 6-5, 4-9, 2-1.
Australia won the round 3-2

Round 3:
David Holt (Aus) bt Laurie Guy (NZ) 5-12, 15-2, 2-0; Garry Ball (Aus) bt Bart Robertson (NZ) 11-5, 11-3; Carl Krizanic (Aus) bt Craig Merrilees (NZ) 9-7, 8-5; Dylan Fisher (Aus) bt Andrew Kelly (NZ) 8-6, 12-4; Murray Glassey (NZ) bt Barrie Lester (Aus) 11-7, 6-3.
Australia won the round 4-1