JERSEY’S Ladies’ Pair of Sara Douglas and Fiona Archibald had a remarkable first day of Commonwealth Games action, rising to the occasion to stun the home side before holding their own against the reigning World Champions, Malaysia.
“After our game in the morning, we were a little bit nervous about facing the World Champions, but we pulled the shots off when we needed to, worked well as a team and kept going,” said Douglas.
The Caesarean pair shone bright to open the day with a statement performance over the hosts, winning 1-0 on the tiebreaker to prove themselves as real contenders at this level.
However, a tall task lay ahead for this evening’s second round fixture of Section D, with none other than the World Champion pair of Malaysia’s Aleena Ahmad Nawawi and Syafiqa Haidar Afif Abdul Rahman – both of which in the World Bowls’ top-20 rankings – standing in the way of a second win.
Heading into the contest, it was clear that the odds were stacked against the Islanders – but, anything can happen in the Commonwealth Games.
As Scotland’s Ladies pairing was also present on the rinks, a loud and proud Scottish crowd blessed the arena to bring a tonne of atmosphere – and the occasional roar – to the occasion.
It wasn’t looking good early on for the Jersey bowlers, as Malaysia showcased their precise accuracy and relentless accuracy to build a 4-1 lead.
But Jersey never waivered in their drive and, despite the wait, the Islanders found themselves battling their way back into contention to then make it 4-3, but unfortunately, they ran out of time and Malaysia took the first set
It was very much the same story to begin with for the second set, as Malaysia pulled ahead 6-0.
Once again, Jersey’s duo did the Island proud to storm into contention with grit and resilience, as the score got to 7-5 but, as the ends ran out, so did their opportunity to seal the set.
While Malaysia won in straight sets, such a tight contest caps off what has been a remarkable day on the rinks for Jersey.
“Our first day of Commonwealth Games action has definitely exceeded expectations – it’s just amazing and we’re so proud for all of the support back home and all the messages we’ve had means the world,” Douglas continued.
When asked what this day’s done for their confidence, Archibald replied: “It’s just a real positive boost – to come to something like this and play against people so talented helps our confidence. We can do similar shots, so we need to keep playing and keep improving.
Douglas echoed those sentiments, adding: “They’re playing on this surface all the time, whereas we played outdoors a lot and now we’ve come in to play indoors with only a few practices. So, to play at that level, we’re really proud of ourselves.”
Bowls action continues this evening, with the Ladies pair returning to the rink at 5.50pm against Norfolk Island, before Taylor Greechan’s match-up with Botswana’s Diza Mphotho.
