Team SA bowls strike gold in Glasgow

Playing in alternating drizzle and sun, the combination of Deon van der Vyver, Roger Hagerty and skip Derrick Lobban took the early lead out to 7-1 after four ends but conceded shots back to even-pegging at 7-7 with eight ends remaining.

The SA trio started to pick up their game, despite New Zealand’s valiant fighting spirit, which saw a comeback to 10-9 with four ends to go and a 0-2 score in the penultimate end.

“It was a ding-dong battle from midway to the end,” said Hagerty.

“We went reasonably up in the beginning and they came back. Their leader, Lynda Bennett, had a particularly good game.

“We were one up playing the last end and holding one. Their skip’s last bowl drew shots, and then Derek [Lobban] drew them off for shots. It was very tight to the death. We won by two. It was a cracking game.

“It’s got to be the pinnacle of my bowls career in both able-bodied and disabled,” added Hagerty.

“Hopefully they can build off this to get a higher profile [for bowls]. It’s a game of skill, and we need to use the [gold] medals of the visually impaired and disabled side to raise the profile of para-bowls.”

England defeated the home nation 16-12 to secure the bronze medal.

Bowlers in this category may play standing, sitting of kneeling, and have a physical disability that can include an arm or leg amputation, prosthesis or paralysis.

In the morning, the ladies pairs of Colleen Piketh and Tracy Lee Botha accounted for Wales 20-15, then won a hard-fought game against Jersey to put them in the final and potentially a fifth gold medal.

The bowls squad has the opportunity of an additional two medals from the men’s fours and the women’s triples, who will face Wales in the bronze medal match.

“It’s been fantastic. This morning we won the quarters against Wales, and now the semis against Jersey,” said Piketh, who started the week with a bronze medal in the singles.

“Once Tracy Leigh [Botha] changed her hand and stuck them close, it put them under pressure so they had to look for shots.

“The wind affected the shots, making it difficult, but we’ve made the final.”

The para bowls gold medal meant that Team SA became the first country ever to win four gold medals at lawn bowls in the Commonwealth Games.

This brings the South African total in Glasgow to five, the same number as in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 and Manchester in 2002, a record that the squad will rewrite over the next 24 hours.

It was a rough day at the office for cyclists Ashleigh Moolman and Heidi Dalton who finished well below their rankings in 15th and 20th places in the time trial.

It was New Zealander Linda Villumsen’s speed over the last section into the finish – over 14 seconds faster than early leader Emma Pooley from England – that made the difference in the end.

Villumsen crossed the line in 42:25.46 to claim New Zealand’s 600th medal in the history of the Commonwealth Games.

Pooley clocked 42:31.49, with Australian Katrin Garfoot third a further 48.45 seconds adrift for the bronze medal.

Moolman, whose primary focus is Sunday’s road race, was never really in it, dropping from 12th at the first check to 15th at the line in 45:58.07.

“It was a tough course, I really hadn’t focused on this event. It’s the road race where I have the medal potential,” said Moolman, who has yet to get a chance to see the course.

“It was good to get on the road, but it was not a good result for me.”

Dalton, who went over the course only a few days before the race, finished in 48:22.03.

“I’m disappointed with my performance. There was wind from all angles which didn’t help,” said Dalton, who will also line up the road race to try to assist Moolman.

“I’ve been ill for the last couple of weeks and have just finished a course of antibiotics. I’m only 19, not that age counts, but I’ll work toward the next time.

“I’m going to ride in Sunday’s road race to do what I can to help Ashleigh.”

– Sapa