WALKER AND GREGORY POST SOLE WINS

The first day of play at the Tweed Heads Bowls Complex was dominated by Australia in the annual Australia v New Zealand PBA Indoor Challenge with just the solitary win to the kiwis in each round of five matches. Last year's runner-up Ken Walker from Dunedin opened his account with a win over Australia's Karen Murphy, while Waikato's Raika Gregory picked up a victory in round two over Brett Wilkie. Othewise it was the green and gold to the fore winning four out of five matches in each round. Of note was too very close tiebreak victories to the youngest of the Aussies Ben Twist over New Zealanders Murray Glassey and Peter Wilson.

Walker and Gregory have the advantage of a win each going into Sunday over the other New Zealanders with the top Kiwi after five rounds progressing to the final against the top Aussie on Monday. The second best and third best from each country also play off for the minor placings. Follow the action at http://www.thbc.com.au/Indoor/index.htm

DAY 1 RESULTS:

Round 1: Steve Glasson (Aus) bt Chris Lourie (NZ) 10-5, 11-2; Ken Walker (NZ) bt Karen Murphy (Aus) 9-3, 4-11, 2-0; Kelvin Kerkow (Aus) bt Raika Gregory (NZ) 13-4, 9-6; Brett Wilkie (Aus) bt Peter Wilson (NZ) 8-4, 6-10, 2-0 Ben Twist (Aus) bt Murray Glassey (NZ) 9-3, 8-9, 2-1.

Round 2: Twist bt Wilson 12-5, 6-7, 2-0; Glasson bt Glassey 8-4, 13-4; Murphy bt Lourie 8-8, 9-7; Kerkow bt Walker 8-7, 7-6; Gregory bt Wilkie 8-5, 5-11, 2-0.

GREGORY TO PLAY OFF FOR PBA CHALLENGE TITLE

Waikato's Raika Gregory will play an in-form Steve Glasson to decide the winner in the 2011 Australia v New Zealand Professional Bowls Assocation Indoor Challenge on Monday at the Tweed Heads Bowls complex on the Gold Coast. Gregory added to his one win, one loss record on Saturday by beating both Ben Twist and Karen Murphy on Sunday and was the only Kiwi to have a positive win-loss record over the weekend. His win over Twist was a dramatical see-saw game with a big set loss in the first set turned around to an equally big set win in the second set before edging the previously unbeaten Twist in the tiebreaker.

The New Zealanders enjoyed a more successful day on Sunday with two wins in round three to Gregory over Twist and Chris Lourie who beat experienced Australian Kelvin Kerkow. Round four saw wins to the two remaining visitors who had yet to open their match win account with Murray Glassey also beating Kerkow, and Peter Wilson overcoming Murphy in a tight tussle. And round five was won by the team in black with victories for Gregory over Murphy, Glassey over Brett Wilkie, and Lourie over Twist. The last round set up Gregory, Glassey and Lourie to play-off their first, second, and third finishing Australian counterparts on the Monday. Gregory has the toughest task taking on Glasson who went through the weekend unbeaten with five wins from five matches.

Australia v New Zealand PBA Indoor Challenge Day 2 Results:

Round 3 - Brett Wilkie (Aus) bt Ken Walker (NZ) 13-1, 9-4; Raika Gregory (NZ) bt Ben Twist (Aus) 4-13, 13-4, 2-1; Steve Glasson (Aus) bt Peter Wilson (NZ) 10-3, 11-4; Karen Murphy (Aus) bt Murray Glassey (NZ) 16-2, 10-6; Chris Lourie (NZ) bt Kelvin Kerkow (Aus) 3-14, 10-5, 2-1.

Round 4 - Glassey bt Kerkow 10-5, 9-6; Wilkie bt Lourie 6-10, 13-6, 2-1; Twist bt Walker 9-7, 8-6; Glasson bt Gregory 11-5, 9-3; Wilson bt Murphy 9-8, 9-10, 2-0.

Round 5 - Gregory bt Murphy 7-7, 9-4; Kerkow bt Wilson 7-3, 14-4; Glassey bt Wilkie 9-8, 7-5; Lourie bt Twist 9-3, 8-7; Glasson bt Walker 10-8, 8-9, 2-1.

New Zealand Table: Gregory 3 wins; Glassey 2 wins, 5 sets; Lourie 2 wins, 4.5 sets; Wilson 1 win, 3 sets; Walker 1 win, 2 sets.

Australia Table: Glasson 5 wins; Kerkow 3 wins, 7 sets; Wilkie 3 wins, 5 sets; Twist 3 wins, 5 sets; Murphy 2 wins.

Monday Play-offs: For 1st is Raika Gregory v Steve Glasson; For 3rd is Murray Glassey v Kelvin Kerkow; For 5th is Chris Lourie v Brett Wilkie.

GREGORY WINS TITLE AND CHALLENGE FOR NZ

Waikato's Raika Gregory won the second Australia v New Zealand Professional Bowls Association Challenge at the Tweed Heads Bowls Club on Monday beating the previously invincible and defending champion Steve Glasson in the final. Glasson only lost one set on his way to five match wins over the Kiwis at the weekend, but Gregory showed class on Monday winning the final in straight sets 9-5, 7-5. This handed the overall challenge to the men in black after fellow Waikato representative Chris Lourie had won the opening play-off match for 5th and 6th 10-3, 7-10, 2-1 over Brett Wilkie. The Aussie team fought back in the next play-off match for 3rd and 4th where Kelvin Kerkow was too good for Hawke's Bay's Murray Glassey 10-7, 10-6.

This left the Challenge hanging in the balance with Gregory heading into the final as underdog, but the New Zealander was able to pull off the win and the spoils. Gregory will likely earn an automatic comeback for next year whatever his end of season ranking on the New Zealand PBA tour will be for 2011. The four top ranked players and next best performed player from the previous year's challenge are invited to the Gold Coast to represent the NZ PBA.

Australia v New Zealand PBA Indoor Challenge - Final Day Results:

Play-off 5th & 6th: Chris Lourie (NZ) bt Brett Wilkie (Aus) 10-3, 7-10, 2-1. Play-off 3rd & 4th: Kelvin Kerkow (Aus) bt Murray Glassey (NZ) 10-7, 10-6. Final: Raika Gregory (NZ) bt Steve Glasson (Aus) 9-5, 9-7.

New Zealand wins Challenge rounds 2-1.

Thanks to Richard Corry