Bowls: Blackjacks have to settle for bronzes after losing all four semifinals

Shannon McIlroy during the Men's Singles Final at the Commonwealth Games. Photo / Getty Images

A worst possible scenario has played out for the New Zealand Blackjacks at the World Bowls Championships in Christchurch.

The Kiwis have lost all four of their semifinal match-ups to collect a haul of four bronze medals but there is significant disappointment within the team at a great opportunity missed.

The men's pair of Mike Kernaghan and Shannon McIlroy were totally outplayed by their Irish counterparts Gary Kelly and Ian McClure 17-10.

Australia beat Scotland in the other semifinal.

"It has been a good week, we got through our section and finished as top qualifier and that guaranteed us a bronze medal," McIlroy told herald.co.nz.

"Unfortunately today we came up against a pretty good Irish side. It was one of those games where the start didn't help our cause and we tried our best to fight back but at the end of the day they were too good.

"Little bit disappointed with the result but pretty happy to come away with a medal - I think any medal at a World Championship you have to be pretty proud of."

Ali Forsyth's men's triples team, which also features Mike Nagy and Blake Signal, were thoroughly beaten 18-10 by an Australian team that seemed to have every answer.
England accounted for Japan in the other semifinal to set up a gold medal match against Australia.

The women's fours team of Katelyn Inch, Angela Boyd, Kirsten Edwards and Val Smith had beaten their Australian counterparts in the round robin section but were outplayed in the semifinals. They conceded a maximum eight shots in a horror opening end and never recovered.

England beat the Philippines to book their spot in the final.

Jo Edwards went neck-and-neck with Scotland's Lesley Doig in the women's singles. Doig held a one shot advantage at 18-17 but came up with three shots in the next end to secure victory over the Kiwi veteran.

Defending champion Karen Murphy of Australia was staring at a defeat to Canada's Kelly McKerihen when she produced a superb clutch bowl to knock McKerihen's one shot out of the way to grab the win 21-20 and set up a final against Doig.