ANZAC TEST SERIES

Congratulations to the Bowls Queensland President’s XII on winning the eighth ANZAC Test Series against the Australian Defence Force played at Capalaba Sports Club on April 21-22. This series is a special event on the Bowls QLD calendar, showcasing the true spirit of mateship. It commenced with a Wreath Laying Ceremony on the Friday as a mark of respect to our service men and women, with bugler Leading Seaman (LS) Darren Skaar playing the haunting Last Post. Each side was comprised of 12 players.

The first test of the ‘best of three’ event commenced following the ceremony, with the second and third tests being played on the Saturday. The first test on the Friday saw BQ having a 15 point lead. However, the ADF team brought things back into line with a neck-and-neck score line of 56-all at the exciting finish of the second test. By the third test, the BQ team upped the ante and proved too strong against the competition and took home the shield.

The Tests

Test 1 was anyone’s guess after the first quarter of the game was looking like BQ had it in the bag with two of the three rinks ahead of the ADF. The skipping Nelson brothers were on fire with their two teams, both well ahead of their competitors, until the ADF responded and the tide of the game changed. Wilkie’s team was off to a slow start in the first half, but levelled out before the third quarter of the game, responding to the ADF’s climbing shots for the rest of the game, until it reached the crescendo of 16-16 in the 20th end. Wilkie’s team triumphed with rink score of 17-16, too close for comfort. Kane Nelson skipped his team to an 11-shot lead after 15 ends, while Jacob Nelson’s team was 7 shots ahead after the 17th end. The Nelson brothers kept the momentum going with each of their teams, staying ahead and closing with a 23-15 win for Kane Nelson’s team, while Jacob Nelson’s team ended with a 20-14 win.

The first six ends in Test 2 were in BQ’s favour, with Brett Wilkie and Jacob Nelson’s team ahead by two and four respectively, while LCDR Kate Carriage’s team were holding up the ADF’s flag right from the get go and were three ahead with an 8-5 lead. BQ lost it’s lead in all three rinks by the end of the first half, with the ADF leading 38-29. The ADF kept ahead until the 50th end after BQ crawled to an equal shot count of 44-all. It was a volley until the final end, with a total score of 56-all. Only Kane Nelson’s rink finished this test ahead for BQ, ending with 21-15 in BQ’s favour.

BQ claimed the lead early in Test 3, staying ahead throughout the match right from the start, determined to hang onto the title they have held each year except for when the ADF won the Test Series in 2015.

For BQ President, Peter Williamson, the event is one of split loyalties as he himself is ex-Navy. “This is a healthy, competitive event which brings the ADF into part of the Bowls Queensland community for a short time,” he said.

CPO Phil Black said the event started off as a little thing but has got bigger. “The biggest thing about this event is the camaraderie, which gets stronger and stronger every year,” said CPO Black. “We have new players this year who have blended in. The spirit on the green, it’s competitive but when you get out there after the game the camaraderie shown by everyone around you is just fantastic,” he said. “It’s a bonus for us in that we get another chance to commemorate those who haven’t come home, or those who have come home and aren’t quite right. This is an event that ADF bowls holds in the highest esteem and hopefully it continues for many years to come.”

PRESIDENT’S XII QLd Team

Amy Evans, Gail Crompton, John Hammond, Brett Wilkie (sk)

Kerry Flint, Pamela Rowe, Robert Hammond, Jacob Nelson (sk)

Olivia Rothwell, Don Currie, Ty Jesberg, Kane Nelson (sk)

ADFLB Team

PO Kaitlin Shaw, LS Anita Jenkins, CPO Steve Adams, CPO Phil Black (sk)

PO Jason Smith, WO2 Aleck McCloskey, PO Luke Piper, LCDR Kate Carriage (sk)

LTCOL Murray Lott, WO1 Mick Carley, FLGOFF Daniel Johnson, SGT Gerard Harkins (sk)

Results

TEST 1 - Bowls QLD President’s XII 60 defeated Australian Defence Force 45

• PO Kaitlin Shaw, LS Anita Jenkins, CPO Steve Adams, CPO Phil Black 16 lost to Amy Evans, Gail Crompton, John Hammond, Brett Wilkie 17

• PO Jason Smith, WO2 Aleck McCloskey, PO Luke Piper, LCDR Kate Carriage 14 lost to Kerry Flint, Pamela Rowe, Robert Hammond, Jacob Nelson 20

• LTCOL Murray Lott, WO1 Mick Carley, FLGOFF Daniel Johnson, SGT Gerard Harkins 15 lost to Olivia Rothwell, Don Currie, Ty Jesberg, Kane Nelson 23

TEST 2 – Bowls QLD President’s XII 56 drew with Australian Defence Force 56

• Amy Evans, Gail Crompton, John Hammond, Brett Wilkie 20 lost to LTCOL Murray Lott, WO1 Mick Carley, FLGOFF Daniel Johnson, SGT Gerard Harkins 24

• Kerry Flint, Pamela Rowe, Robert Hammond, Jacob Nelson 15 lost to PO Kaitlin Shaw, LS Anita Jenkins, CPO Steve Adams, CPO Phil Black 17

• Olivia Rothwell, Don Currie, Ty Jesberg, Kane Nelson 21 def PO Jason Smith, WO2 Aleck McCloskey, PO Luke Piper, LCDR Kate Carriage 15

TEST 3 - Bowls QLD President’s XII 78 def Australian Defence Force 36

• Amy Evans, Gail Crompton, John Hammond, Brett Wilkie 23 def PO Jason Smith, WO2 Aleck McCloskey, PO Luke Piper, LCDR Kate Carriage 13

• Kerry Flint, Pamela Rowe, Robert Hammond, Jacob Nelson 26 def LTCOL Murray Lott, WO1 Mick Carley, FLGOFF Daniel Johnson, SGT Gerard Harkins 8

• Olivia Rothwell, Don Currie, Ty Jesberg, Kane Nelson 29 def PO Kaitlin Shaw, LS Anita Jenkins, CPO Steve Adams, CPO Phil Black 15

TOTAL TEST SERIES RESULT: Bowls QLD Presidents XII 2.5 Tests def Australian Defence Force 0.5 Tests

You can watch the live streams of each test on the BQ website. Thanks to Capalaba Sports Club for hosting this event.