Bowls: Australia claim test, NZ win series

Shannon McIlroy in action. Photo / Dean Purcell

Australia salvaged some pride but New Zealand walked off the greens at with the prize after the final test in the trans-Tasman bowls series at Invercargill today.

The hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead into the last day of the three-test series at Waihopai Bowling Club and lost both the men's and women's matches today to see the series end 2-1.

Australia clinched the men's test series with a 6-2 win today with Shannon McIlroy claiming the sole New Zealand win in the singles, while the women's team lost on countback after the matches were evenly split.

Scores:

Men

Singles: Shannon McIlroy beat Aron Sherriff 21-12.

Pairs: Ali Forsyth/Matt Gallop lost to Sheriff/Mark Berghofer 23-24.

Triples: Richard Girvan/Shaun Scott/McIlroy lost to Mark Casey/Wayne Turley/Brett Wilkie 12-17.

Fours: Forsyth/ Girvan/Scott/Gallop lost to Casey/Turley/Wilkie/Berghofer 12-17.

Women
Singles: Jan Khan lost to Kelsey Cottrell 12-21.

Pairs: Jo Edwards/Val Smith bt Natasha van Eldik/Lynsey Armitage 16-13.

Triples: Khan (skip), Jan Shirley, Genevieve Baildon Khan (NZ) bt Cottrell/Julie Keegan/Sharyn Renshaw 21-6.

Fours: Edwards/Smith/Shirley/Baildon lost to Keegan/Armitage/van Eldik/Renshaw 10-17.

Result: Australia win test 10-6. NZ win test series 2-1 (26-22)

- NZPA