Australia’s Jackaroos just got the better of the Rest of the World team to secure the inaugural World Bowls Challenge trophy.

Trailing by eight match points with two sessions left to play on day two, the Jackaroos scored 14-2 in the four singles matches of Round 3 to put them four points ahead going in to the final matches.

Aaron Teys beat Gary Kelly from Ireland; Ellen Ryan beat Ellen Falkner from England and Corey Wedlock’s triumphed over reigning world singles champion Shannon McIlroy from New Zealand.

Alex Marshall MBE and Jo Edwards were left to claim victory for the Rest of the World, pitted against reigning Games singles champion Aaron Wilson and Karen Murphy, playing her last international match for Australia.

Marshall won 10-1, 4-1 victory over the game Wilson, while Edwards picked up the first set against Murphy.

But in a comeback fitting for the occasion Murphy won the second set 6-1 to tie the match and secure success for her team.

The Jackaroos won the series by the narrowest of margins – one set out of 44 completed – while they finished two shots in arrears overall to the Rest of the World side.

TEAMS:

REST OF WORLD

Ryan Bester (Canada), Darren Burnett (Scotland), Gary Kelly (Ireland), Alex Marshall MBE (Scotland) and Shannon McIlroy (New Zealand), while the women were Jo Edwards MNZM (New Zealand), Ellen Falkner (England), Kelly McKerihen (Canada), Colleen Piketh (South Africa) and Katherine Rednall (England).

JACKAROOS

Barrie Lester (Qld), Aron Sherriff (Qld), Aaron Teys (NSW), Corey Wedlock (NSW) and Aaron Wilson (NSW) as the men’s quintet; with Kelsey Cottrell (Qld), Karen Murphy (NSW), Ellen Ryan (NSW), Natasha Scott (NSW) and team captain Bec Van Asch from Tasmania.

RESULTS:

Day 1:

Mixed triples: Game 1: World (K Rednall, J Edwards, A Marshall) drew Aust (E Ryan, R Van Asch, A Sherriff) 8-2 3-7; Game 2: Aust (K Cottrell, C Wedlock, A Teys) bt World (E Falkner, G Kelly, D Burnett) 8-1 7-3; Game 3: World (K McKerihen, S McIlroy, R Bester) drew Aust (B Lester, N Scott, A Wilson) 2-6 5-4.

Men’s pairs: Game 4: Aust (B Lester, A Sherriff) bt World (S McIlroy, R Bester) 5-3 4-2.

Women’s pairs: Game 5: World (K Rednall, E Falkner) bt Aust (K Murphy, R Van Asch) 5-2 8-1.

Men’s pairs: Game 6: World (D Burnett, A Marshall) bt Aust (C Wedlock, A Wilson) 3-3 6-4.

Women’s pairs: Game 7: Aust (E Ryan, K Cottrell) bt World (C Piketh, J Edwards) 7-3 7-7.

Standings after first day: Australia 8 points, 8 sets, +8 shots; Rest of the World 6, 6, -8.

Day 2:

Mixed pairs: Aust (K Cottrell, A Sherriff) drew World (K Rednall, D Burnett) 7-3 3-6, World (E Falkner, G Kelly) bt Aust (C Wedlock, N Scott) 7-2 11-2, Aust (B Lester, R Van Asch) drew World (C Piketh, S McIlroy) 4-2 1-7, World (K McKerihen, R Bester) bt Aust (K Murphy, A Wilson) 4-4 3-2, Aust (E Ryan, A Teys) bt World (J Edwards, A Marshall) 5-5 10-7.

Men’s singles: D Burnett (World) bt B Lester (Aust) 6-2 4-4, A Sherriff (Aust) drew R Bester (World) 4-3 3-4, A Teys (Aust) bt G Kelly (World) 6-4 6-4, C Wedlock bt S McIlroy 6-0 3-3, A Marshall (World) bt A Wilson (Aust) 10-1 4-1.

Women’s singles: K McKerihen (World) bt R Van Asch (Aust) 5-5 7-2, K Cottrell (Aust) drew C Piketh (World) 7-5 3-4, K Rednall (World) drew N Scott (Aust) 6-2 2-6, E Ryan (Aust) bt E Falkner (World) 11-0 4-3, J Edwards (World) drew K Murphy (Aust) 5-3 1-6.

Final standings: Australia 32 points, 22.5 sets, -2 shots. Rest of the World 32 points, 21.5 sets, +2 shots.