:: FINALS SUMMARY South Africa wrapped up the inaugural Tri-Nations Bowls tournament with a stunning win over Australia in the final (16/10) at the Melville Bowling Club. The South Africans went to lunch with the trophy in the bag after wins in the triples and singles before adding the dead rubber pairs. The visiting triples combination of Lorna Trigwell, Gippo Vermeulen and Eric Johannes were much too strong for the hosts, winning 9-1, 6-5. In fact, the Australian team of Karen Murphy, Brett Duprez and Kelvin Kerkow didn’t win shot for 10 ends after the first end in the opening set until the fifth end in the second set. By then, they were five shots down and while picking up five shots in the fifth and sixth end, couldn’t maintain the charge with South Africa winning the shot they needed in the seventh. The singles was much closer with Baker winning 1-11 7-2 1-0 for two victories over the Australian in the tournament. Glasson got off to a flyer in the first set but the South African settled better in the second and it was clear that they were going for a tiebreaker when he led 7-0 after four ends. When Baker collected the jack with his first delivery, Glasson had his back to the wall. His second bowl just failed to draw the shot while his drive with the third was wide with his last ball a little too strong in conditions made difficult in the strong wind. “I couldn’t watch Steve’s last bowl, ” said the jubilant Baker, who has a bronze and silver from two Commonwealth Games. “There’s a lot of luck in this breeze and I felt Steve had a lot more pressure on him after we won the singles.” Baker said if he hadn’t nudged the jack in the tiebreaker he could have gone will past while Glasson was unlucky to miss by centimetres with his shot. However, the worl champion was gracious in defeat, refusing to say luck played a part. “His shot with the first bowl in the tiebreaker nailed it but that’s bowls,” he said. “I have no regrets although I certainly would have liked to play better. Any time you play for your country and it doesn’t work out is naturally disappointing.” Australia had high hopes of taking revenge on the South Africans who won 2-1 in the round robin section of the tournament but it was another case of “déjà vu” said Glasson. Most pundits had tipped a British Lions-Australia final but Baker said his team was always confident. “I don’t know why we were ranked third,” he said. “We have some very competent grass players and I would have been surprised if we hadn’t beaten the Lions.” In the pairs, Trigwell and Johannes had an exciting 6-1 5-10 1-0 win over Murphy and Trigwell after Johannes trailed the jack into the ditch, making it impossible for the Australians to draw the winning shot. Duprez pulled out of the pairs at the last moment after a selection wrangle in the Australian camp and it was disappointing that he didn’t get a final farewell in national colours as he starts retirement. However, the inaugural tournament with its mixed male and female format, was rated a fantastic success. “It’s an innovative and fresh idea for bowl and can only go from strength to strength,” said tournament director Steve Boylan. It is expected to become permanently established on the international calendar with the next tournament indoors at Johannesburg, South Africa, next year. Please click here to to view the photo gallery for the Trinations Series			:: RESULT South Africa b Australia 3-0 :: SINGLES South Africa (Gerry Baker) b Australia (Steve Glasson) 6-11, 7-2, 1-0 :: PAIRS South Africa (Lorna Trigwell, Eric Johannes) b Australia (Karen Murphy, Kelvin Kerkow) 6-1 5-10 1-0 :: TRIPLES South Africa (Lorna Trigwell, Gippo Vermeulen, Eric Johannes) b Australia (Karen Murphy, Brett Duprez, Kelvin Kerkow) 9-1, 6-5 Please click here to to view the photo gallery for the Trinations Series
THUR OCTOBER 13 TO SUN OCTOBER 16 2005 In October 2005, Perth will be the host city for the inaugural JACK HIGH TRI-NATIONS Bowls tournament featuring 12 of the world’s best players. This unique event will have a combination of both Men and Women in the four person teams representing Australia, South Africa and a new British Lions team competing in singles, triples and two split pairs. The teams will play a round robin series over three days, opening with a triples match followed by the other team member who will play the singles, and then two pairs games to complete the Test.
	Heading the field will be the current World Champion, Australia’s Steve Glasson, who will team up with other top players in Australia including the women’s bowling sensation, 28 year-old Karen Murphy. The South African team will be led by one of their most experienced players Gerry Baker and includes a mix of some of their new exciting talent as well as Women’s World Singles finalist Lorna Trigwell. The new look British Lions team will be made up of players from Ireland, England and Scotland with the number one ranked player in the world David Gourlay leading the charge.
The four-day event will commence on Thursday October 13 with the opening round of South Africa taking on the new look UK team. Further matches will be played on Friday and Saturday with the top two qualifying teams after the three days of round robin play, engaged in the series final on Sunday October 16. It will be a four-day feast of the finest bowls action possible as the world’s best assemble at the Melville Bowling Club for the Tri-Nations. This event is the first time a British Lions team has been selected for an international bowls series against two of the great bowling nations of Australia and South Africa - and now the true test of where the best bowlers come from can be finally settled! Some of the world’s best women bowlers will be pitted against some of the men’s World Champions, so who are the best?
You can also experience the wonderful city of Perth and the beautiful places to see in Western Australia….its an opportunity too good to be true! After the thrill of watching world-class bowls action spend some time enjoying the sunshine and relaxed atmosphere of Perth. SEE YOU AT THE TRI-NATIONS IN PERTH !