Dig deep and play tough bowls
Test 2 victory puts Queensland boys back in the hunt for series win over NSW, but they will need to be top of their game when the annual interstate clash comes to a head tomorrow morning. Queensland’s boys are back in the hunt at their annual interstate clash with New South Wales, with a 3-1 win in Test 2 squaring up the ledger and keeping their hopes of a series win alive.
But they’ll have to “dig deep and play some tough bowls” in tomorrow’s finale according to state coach Bill Cornehls, after NSW scored first blood in the third and final test at Toombul Bowls Club this afternoon.
“The boys played really well early in the day,” Cornehls said.
“We spoke last night about keeping the energy levels up and playing for each other and that’s what they did today, they came out firing and it paid off.”
After suffering a string of narrow losses in Test 1, the boys turned the tables on NSW in Test 2, clocking up three wins from fours to out-point the Blues 63-57.
Beenleigh’s Nic Gosley notched up his second singles win of the series, 21-16, while Hayden Vogler skipped his boys to victory in the triples, 20-14, and fours, 12-8.
Gosley and Jesse Turnbull couldn’t quite complete the clean sweep, going down 10-19 in the pairs, but it hardly mattered, with Queensland’s campaign back on track heading into Test 3.
Unfortunately their good form didn’t continue after the break, with the Blues striking first in the series decider.
Queensland’s reshuffled outfit of Mitchell Mears and Nic Gosley suffered a nine-shot loss in the pairs, 14-23, while Jake Rynne, Jesse Turnbull and Hayden Vogler were served a similar dose in the triples, 13-24.
“The pace of the green slowed as it got later in the day and shadows started creeping across it. NSW adapted to that change better than we did,” Cornehls said.
“We starting playing a lot of short and narrow bowls, which meant we were trying to recover end after end and when your constantly trying to recover the shots just don’t go your way.
“It was a steep learning curve for the boys and it may yet prove costly, but that’s what this series are all about, learning and improving.”
Despite the setback, Queensland’s boys can still win the series, but victory in tomorrow’s singles and fours games is essential.
“If we can win those two games tomorrow and by a margin of 21 we will win the series,” Cornehls said.
“It’s a big ask and we’ll need to dig deep and play some tough bowls to get over the line, but we have a target to aim for and now our destiny is in our own hands.”
The boys’ Test 3 singles and fours games kick-off at Brisbane’s Toombul Bowls Club at 9.15 am tomorrow.