Bowls: Blackjacks to play off for three gold medals

Jo Edwards celebrates at the Commonwealth Games. Photo / Getty Images

The Blackjacks will play off for three gold medals across the weekend after all three disciplines won their semifinals at the World Bowls Championships in Christchurch on Friday.

The New Zealand team banked four bronze medals in the opening week but will be much more satisfied with a chance at three golds in the second week of bowls' biggest event.

"Awesome day today," Blackjacks coach Dave Edwards told herald.co.nz. "It was a bit of a black Friday for us last week but to turn it around today - the team did a brilliant job.

"They all identified some work-on areas that would turn things around and I am absolutely proud of the fact they did turn it around and got the results today."

Edwards, who will leave his role with the national side at the end of the World Championships after a decade in charge, thinks the New Zealand side is a realistic chance of taking the gold in all three disciplines.

"I am pretty confident - because of the form they are all in and the attitude and mental state that they are all in I am confident we can challenge for the three golds."

Singles player Shannon McIlroy enjoyed a 21-17 win over Aaron Sherriff from Australia. He will play Canada's Ryan Bester for the gold medal on Sunday. McIlroy will be aiming to be the first New Zealand singles player since Peter Belliss in 1984 to win World Championships gold.

The women's pair of Jo Edwards and Angela Boyd had a 13-11 win over the English pairing of Ellen Falkner and Sophie Tolchard. Edwards and Boyd will meet Wales in the gold medal match on Sunday. The Kiwi duo picked up a crucial three in the back end of a very close match, which ultimately proved the difference.

The men's fours combination of Mike Nagy, Mike Kernaghan, Blake Signal and Ali Forsyth had a comfortable 20-3 win over Scotland to continue their dominant run at the tournament and set up a gold medal match with Australia on Saturday.