Fortunes favours Fantini
Anthony Fantini called up for Super 6 after poor weather forces Wilkie’s plane to turn back A fired up Anthony Fantini was on his game today after being presented with a massive opportunity to prove his skills against the best in the business.
Fanta was drafted in to lead for world champion (and Helensvale clubmate) Mark Casey at the 2014 Super Six series in Tasmania, after the travel plans of Queensland’s Brett Wilkie and Lynsey Clarke were thrown into disarray due to deteriorating weather conditions.
The duo, who had been in Melbourne for the announcement of the 2014 Commonwealth Games team, were en-route to Tassie when bad weather struck the Apple Isle.
After three failed landings attempts in Launceston, their flight was forced to return to Melbourne, paving a path for their super subs.
“I was stoked to get the call up, but I had massive shoes to fill in replacing Brett,” said an ecstatic Fantini.
A State of Origin battle unfolded in the first round, with Fantini needing to be on his a game from the get go.
His consistent draw shot, matched with Casey’s superb ability to convert, created an unbeatable combination, trouncing the New South Wales powerhouse pair of Matthew Baus and Wayne Turley 23-9.
The confidence-boosting win against the mighty Blues gave Casey and Fantini the momentum, with the duo going on to defeat South Australia by 13 and Tasmania by 3 to book their place in the Gold Medal Match.
After the game Fantini was riding on a high, “Going into any final I feel confident because of how we have played together as a team, but it will definitely be a tough one against Flaps (Victoria’s Matthew Flapper),” Fantini said.
“Case and I combine well and no matter what the result, this will set us in good stead for the Australian Sides.”
Unfortunately the singles and triples missed out on a playoff match, with both managing just one win from the three games.
In the women’s event, a shot at back-to-back titles was cruelly taken away from Queensland’s reigning pairs gold medallists, Lynsey Clarke and Kristy Thatcher.
Clarke’s travel debacle saw Musgrave Hill state champion Yvonne Lovelock called in to skip her first interstate event for Queensland.
Thatcher and Lovelock endured three nail-biting finishes, going down against NSW and Tasmania, before knocking over South Australian.
Queensland’s triple of Louis Witton, Tracey Foster and Sam Wilson will be determined to take the bronze medal at South Burnie Bowls Club, after missing an opportunity to play for gold.
The Maroon trio were pipped at the post in their last match against hometown heroes Tasmania, needing a seven shot victory to reach the gold medal match, but only managing a one shot win.
Meanwhile, Queensland’s youngest starlet Natasha Jones bounced back from a tough 11-shot loss in the first round to NSW’s Aussie singles rep Kelsey Cottrell, to win the next two games and force her way into the Bronze medal play-off.
Medal matches will commence at 9:30 tomorrow at South Burnie Bowls Club, followed by the medal presentation. See the Bowls Australia website for full round results from today.
Tomorrow’s medal matches:
Mens Pairs – QLD vs VIC for Gold
Women’s Triples – QLD vs WA for Bronze
Women’s Singles – QLD vs WA for Bronze.
