The first World Bowls Series sanctioned events held in both the northern and southern hemispheres have seen dramatic changes to the newly-launched ranking lists.
Australian duo Kelsey Cottrell and Aron Sherriff who were revealed as the number one players in the world when the World Bowls Series was launched during the biggest ever Australian Open at Club Helensvale on the Gold Coast, Australia, maintain their reigns, but there have been plenty of other exciting moves.
In fact, the AO which will go down as one of the most glorious fortnights in the event’s history, was the first sanctioned event of the WBS calendar.
And its women’s singles champion Laura Butler the Switzerland international and Western Australian who is one of the biggest climbers in the rankings jumping from 28th to ninth. She was inspiring in her run to the singles title eliminating the likes of Lynsey Clarke and Chloe Stewart before taking down Kelsey Cottrell in the decider. Reaching the pairs semi-final and fours quarter-final too, it’s not surprising she was awarded the player of the tournament accolade. What’s more astonishing for Butler is that she is pregnant too!
Interestingly, fellow mum-to-be Ellen Fife’s win in the women’s pairs with Commonwealth Games gold medal winning partner Kristina Krstic sees her jump seven places from 10th to third, while Krstic, who had lost her previous six finals, takes fourth spot after previously being number 18.
To win one singles title at the AO is something special, but to win three in a row and six overall is something that never entered the realms of possibility when the inaugural tournament was staged 19 years ago. Yet that is the feat that Aron Sherriff has achieved. In a field of 1,312, Sherriff played 12 matches to lift the trophy and cement his number one spot in the WBS rankings list.
Over the pond, the second event was the British Bowls Championships and International Series staged at the home of the 2022 Commonwealth Games at Victoria Park in Royal Leamington Spa, England. Out of the eight open disciplines of the sanctioned Championship, England won three, Scotland and Wales two and Ireland one. Sophie Tolchard’s third win in the women’s triples for England sees her move from 10th to sixth, while Wales’ Ross Owen’s spectacular full house when 17-all against England’s Lewis King in the final of the men’s singles saw his victory earn him 22nd place after previously being 49th.
In the new-look International Series which saw all matches played using World Bowls and Commonwealth Games disciplines, England celebrated double delight on home soil being crowned champions in both the women’s and men’s series with Scotland and Ireland finishing second and third in the women’s event and Wales and Ireland second and third respectively in the men’s.
So, who are the big movers in the rankings over the last three weeks? Let’s take a look:
- Sophie Tolchard (England) has moved from 10 to 6
- Kristina Krstic (Australia) – 18 to 4
- Ellen Fife (Australia) – 12 to 3
- Laura Butler (Switzerland) – 28 to 9
- Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple (Malaysia) – 4 to 2
- Carl Healey (Australia) – 15 to 6
- Ross Owen (Wales) – 49 to 22
Stay tuned to the WBS website and socials as the updated WBS rankings will be released soon.
The next sanctioned WBS events will be staged later this month in Singapore with the inaugural Lion City Cup from July 21-28 and then we head back to the United Kingdom for the Scottish National Championships in Ayr from July 27-August 3.
For more information regarding the World Bowls Series please contact:
Neil Dalrymple
CEO, World Bowls
Iggy Jovanovic
Director, World Bowls Series