Champions Brave Conditions To Claim World Bowls Titles In Auckland

Auckland school teacher Milika Nathan will walk into her classroom at Northcote Intermediate on Monday morning as a World Bowls Champion.

Nathan represented her native Tonga to upset defending world champion Anne Nunes (USA) to win the final of the World Bowls Champion of Champions title in extreme conditions at the Browns Bay Bowling Club in North Harbour today.

She joins outstanding Australian Lee Schraner who claimed the men’s title for the second time in edging out New Zealand champion Aiden Takarua in a tightly fought final 6-4 4-4.

Over 50 champion bowlers from 30 nations competed in the 22nd World Bowls Champion of Champions Singles this week. After a week of superb weather, the playoffs were a battle with the weather, with light and persistent rain throughout the day.

The players battled on with officials clearing surface water between sets before and during the finals.

Nathan, who competed for Tonga at last week’s Oceania Challenge in Auckland, won her way through qualifying, moving in to the quarterifinals with a dominant performance over Teokotai Jim from Cook Islands.

She prevailed in the semifinal in a topsy-turvy encounter with Stefanie Branfield (England), bouncing back with a remarkable 14-2 advantage to win the second set, and winning the tiebreak with her final bowl.

Meanwhile Nunes, attempting to become the first person to successfully defend their title, edged Ireland’s Sarah Kelly 10-3 7-7 and Lainie McGorman (Australia) in a tight semifinal.

The pair battled the conditions during the final with Nathan the stronger in the wet, winning 5-4 5-3 in a brilliant match.

“At the start of this week I was just trying to make it into the top eight,” said Nathan. “It was like using a drive and upshot every time and make sure I was up in those conditions.

“I didn’t think about playing Anne in the final and just tried to focus on my own game. It is a bit crazy to think I am a world champion. I never thought that would happen, ever. It is funny that I will walk back into my classroom on Monday.”

Schraner and Takarua had been the standouts throughout the week with the Australian accounting for Wattana Kadkhunthod in the quarterfinal, Ross Owen (Wales) in the semifinal in two sets while Takarua was too strong for England’s Lewis King and Canada’s Pat Bird on the way to the final.

While the weather was the leveller, the pair produced bowls of stunning standard, with the Australian drawing to perfection and the young kiwi powerful with his driving play with both defying the conditions.

Schraner edged ahead to win the first set while they could not be separated in the second, drawing 4-4 with the kiwi needing to win to take the match to a tiebreak.

The Australian won the title in Adelaide in 2019 and has also won the bronze medal on two occasions.

“I am over the moon. I didn’t drop a game all week. I was expecting to need a tiebreak but didn’t happen. Aiden nearly drove me off the green in the second set, he was so accurate. But I stuck with my game which is draws bowls.

“It was such a spectacle especially in those conditions. Credit to the Browns Bay greenkeeping staff. That green still ran 14 seconds through the puddles.

“To my credit, Aiden’s credit and the two girls, we did World Bowls a big favour playing that and the standard of the two finals in those conditions was first class.

“I look forward to seeing Aiden put on the New Zealand gear when he makes the open team because he is a great kid and a great player.

“For me nothing beats my win in Adelaide. With my two golds and two bronze medals, that was my 54th game at the Champion of Champions and I have won 51 of them. To have two golds and two bronze in four attempts, I am just on top of the world.”

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