QLD VS NSW TEST SERIES TEAMS

Bowls Queensland has pleasure in announcing the players to represent Queensland in the Open, Under 25 and 40-59 teams to play New South Wales in July.

The annual QLD vs NSW Series will be held at Club Tweed on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 18-19. This three-test series will be live streamed on Facebook and YouTube with links on the Bowls QLD Website. The first two tests will be played on Tuesday and the third test on Wednesday morning.

Congratulations to the following players who will make their debut for Queensland in their respective teams:

• Open Team: Amy Evans, Kane Nelson and Nic Gosley.

• Under 25 Team: Chloe Runge, Sophie Kiepe, Joel Downey, Jake Rynne, Jarryd Davies and Isaac Maughan.

• 40-59 Team: Tilly Orero, Sarah Duffield, Steve Hayden and Jason Constable.

Wendy Wilson and Scott DeJongh-Fitzpatrick make their return to the open team while Jamie Anderson, Cohen Litfin and Chris Rosanes were unavailable for selection.

Following this series, 12 women and 12 men will be selected to represent Queensland in the Australian Sides Championships to be held in Perth from 13-16 October 2023. Congratulations to the following selected players:

QLD OPEN Team

Women:

• Kira Bourke, Wendy Wilson, Julie Keegan, Lynsey Clarke sk

• Amanda Haevecker, Pamela Rowe, Bolivia Millerick, Kelsey Cottrell sk

• Amy Evans, Emma Spicer, Claire Turley, Chloe Stewart sk

QLD UNDER 25 Team

Women:

• Alexis Foot, Chloe Runge, Isabella Lawson, Julia Brownie sk

• Ashlee Knight, Sophie Kiepe, Olivia Rothwell, Brittanny Wiley-Baxter sk

QLD 40-59 Team

Women:

• Yvonne Lovelock, Tilly Orero, Lorraine Callaghan, Tracy Foster sk

• Pauline Laverty, Sarah Duffield, Joanne Stockdale, Noelene Dutton sk

Thank you to Club Tweed for sponsoring this event.

Men:

• Nick Cahill, Wayne Turley, Sean Ingham, Aron Sherriff sk

• Kane Nelson, Nic Gosley, Matthew Lucas, Sean Baker sk

• Scott DeJongh-Fitzpatrick, Barrie Lester, Brett Wilkie, Nathan Rice sk

Men:

• Joel Downey, John Hammond jnr, Jake Rynne, Jarryd Davies sk

• Mitchell Mears, Isaac Maughan, Dale McWhinneyShillington, Jacob Nelson sk

Men:

• Steve Hayden, Ben Walsh, Mark Armstrong, Jason Constable sk

• Paul Gilbert, Gary Pearson, Glen Pitts, Adam White sk

Make sure you come down to Club Tweed on July 18-19 to cheer on the QUEENSLANDERS!

By Kelsey Cottrell

Men’s Singles gold medal winner for the fifth time, Aron Sherriff

Queenslanders accounted for almost a third of the event’s competitors and rose to the top in the country’s most prestigious tournament!

More than 900 entries across all 14 disciplines were received in what was a record-breaking year for the $275,000 Australian Open. The Gold Coast Clubs are well oiled machines and did a fantastic job hosting over 3,000 competitors over the 14 days of competition.

It’s a monumental day in your career when you’re crowned an Australian Open Dual Champion on the same day, winning both the Fours and Singles and pocketing a cool $15,000.

Aron (Omar) Sherriff, already in a class above most, is now breaking his own records and will have undoubtedly earned enough ranking points to secure the Australian Bowler of the Year Award.

MEN’S SINGLES

Queensland was guaranteed a winner in the men’s singles when Sherriff got over the line in a thrilling semi-final, a re-match from the Queensland Champion of Champion Singles Final against Algester’s Glen Pitts. Meanwhile, on a neighbouring rink, Jacob Nelson (Belmont Services) defeated NSW representative Matt Miles in a hard-fought match to make his first Australian Open final. It must be noted that Sherriff fought back from a 12-20 deficit in that semi-final and another notable achievement from our other finalist, was Nelson’s defeat of back-to-back Commonwealth Games gold medallist Aaron Wilson in the quarter-final, having the champion down 17 nil on a live-streamed match at Helensvale.

The final was a classy encounter between the hunter and the hunted, and it was the experience of Sherriff getting over the line 21-14 on his home greens at Broadbeach. Nelson also won many new fans, gracious in defeat and showing the country he’s got what it takes to reach great heights.

Final score: Aron Sherriff def Jacob Nelson 21-14

MEN’S PAIRS

Sherriff was on a mission, qualifying for the pairs final with partner Aaron Teys a day earlier. Perhaps the one-shot loss at the hands of defending champions, Ben Twist and Aaron Wilson, produced an extra determined Sherriff the next day.

The Queenslander was unable to disrupt the head, leaving the man affectionately known as Disco room to draw a third and secure the title, and he willingly obliged.

Final score: Ben Twist & Aaron Wilson def Aaron Teys & Aron Sherriff 17-16

MEN’S FOURS

A full Queensland side of Brendan Wilson, Clinton Bailey, Scott De Jongh-Fitzpatrick and Nick Cahill came oh so close to gold in the men’s fours, having to settle for a well-earned silver medal against a champion side of Barrie Lester (QLD), Corey Wedlock, Aaron Teys and Aron Sherriff (QLD), going down by just 1 shot.

It wasn’t the man of the hour Sherriff being the hero on this occasion, in fact it was Warilla’s Aaron Teys who nailed a front toucher with his final bowl which remained the shot for the remainder of the end. Despite being on the losing end of game, Nick Cahill was sensational and arguably the Man of the Match.

Final score: Barrie Lester, Corey Wedlock, Aaron Teys and Aron Sherriff def Brendan Wilson, Clinton Bailey, Scott De Jongh-Fitzpatrick & Nick Cahill 15-14.

WOMEN’S SINGLEs

Club Helensvale’s Kelsey Cottrell went close to defending her Australian Open Singles title, going down by twoshots to former Queenslander Cassandra Millerick in the final.

Millerick, now at Moama, was slow starting but soon found her groove and fought hard to claim her first Australian Open crown in a final to remember.

Millerick dropped the first seven shots as Cottrell flew out of the blocks. Playing in front of her former home crowd at Broadbeach, Millerick edged her way back into the contest with precision drawing.

The duo went shot for shot, with scores locked away after nearly every second end, before Millerick took the ascendancy. Trailing 14-16, Millerick collected a maximum of four to move ahead 18-16 and break the game wide open.

Cottrell showed her class under pressure, getting within two shots of victory herself, but with Millerick one away from victory, she built a remarkable head of bowls that would give her the win, the biggest of her career to date.

Final score: Cassandra Millerick def Kelsey Cottrell 21-19

WOMEN’S FOURS

Queenslander Chloe Stewart was part of a composite side that claimed gold in the women’s fours. Playing alongside Victorian Olivia Cartwright, Switzerland’s Laura Butler and New Zealand’s Katelyn Inch, they defeated Commonwealth Games gold medallist Kristina Krstic, Ellen Ryan, Ellen Faulkner and Emerging Jackaroo Briana Smith.

Final score: Olivia Cartwright, Laura Butler, Chloe Stewart & Katelyn Inch def Brianna Smith, Ellen Falkner, Kristina Krstic & Ellen Ryan 15-9

OVER-60

The over-60 disciplines grew more than any other event entries wise; however, the only medal we snared was a silver from our dynamic Tweed Heads duo of Max Jaffray and Neville Jenkins.

Eventual winners, Brims and Ryan took the jump early, leading 12-1, a lead their Queensland opponents could not reel back in. They managed to cut the score back down, but it was Brims and Ryan who were able to hold on for the victory.

Final score: Greg Brims & Eric Ryan def Max Jaffray & Neville Jenkins 20-10

UNDER-18 BOY’S SINGLES

Our sport is in good hands and Queensland is on the front foot in the Under-18 Boy’s category with an allQueensland final.

Riley Gerick from Belmont Services was successful over Broadbeach local Samuel Collier on the show rink, a game that will be shown on the Bowls Show later in the year. Gerick looked on song from the outset as he secured 11 of the first 14 ends to race out to a 16-3 lead over Collier.

His opponent would begin to claw his way back; however, clinching five of the next six shots caused some nerves in the game of the Belmont Services member. The final end saw two brilliant lead bowls give Gerick the ascendancy, with Collier unable to wrestle the shot away, granting Gerick a maiden Australian Open crown.

Final score: Riley Gerick def Samuel Collier 21-12

MULTI-DISABILITY SINGLES

It’s always a good feeling for a lead to get a win over their skipper for bragging rights. And that’s exactly what happened in the Women’s Disability Singles final.

Cheryl Lindfield secured a comeback for the ages against great friend and international teammate, Serena Bonnell. Bonnell raced out to an 11-2 buffer after 10 ends, having just conceded one shot across that time. However, Lindfield roared into action and slowly pegged the lead back, thanks to some expert drawing and weight, ending with victory. The next time we see these two ladies, they will be representing Australia together at the World Bowls Championships.

Final score (women’s singles): Cheryl Lindfield def Serena Bonnell 21-17

VISION-IMPAIRED SINGLES & PAIRS

Our super-star vision impaired bowler, Jake Fehlberg, met his match in the Open Singles, going down in the final 16-21 to another Queenslander Scott Kinnear. However, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist teamed up with Enoggera’s Helen Boardman to win the pairs event.

Final score: Scott Kinnear def Jake Fehlberg 21-16

Facing off against Martin Bock (NSW) and Scott Kinnear (QLD), the Comm Games duo jumped out of the blocks, leading 10-0 before Bock and Kinnear stormed back into action. Fehlberg and Boardman led 15-14 on the final end, taking shot to hold on for a memorable two-shot win.

Final score: Helen Boardman & Jake Fehlberg def Martin Bock & Scott Kinnear 16-14

Bowls Australia Events Manager, Andrew Howie, said the 2023 Australian Open was played across a record number of clubs, from down south as far as Coolangatta and north to Beenleigh.

“All clubs worked tirelessly to ensure the participants enjoyed their experience at the Australian Open,” he said. “It was amazing to see over 900 volunteers give up their time to mark, umpire and flip scoreboards.”

Start planning now for 2024. It’s an event for all, a huge festival of bowls that should be a bucket list item for all keen bowlers!