End 18 Last end and the opening bowl from Sophie is a craker - toucher on the jack! A very good reply from Kelsey just comes up short. Another great bowl from Sophie rolls out Kelsey's bowl to hold two. Kelsey's second pulls up a foot short of the jack. Sophie's last bowl comes around the head to cover nicely. With her last Kelsey swaps to the forehand attempting to rest out the two shot bowls of England but plays a tight line. England holding two after the lead bowls. Ellen's first bowl makes no difference - great weight for jack level but is narrow. Karen's first is wide and England still hold two shots. Karen tightens her line to collect the jack right back to hold tow shots. One bowl left for each skip. Brilliant bowl from Ellen draws in for shot! A mircale shot required here by Karen to make a 4 - she drives the bunch at the front but England still take one to win the match. A great game of bowls!
End 17 Both opening bowls finish a metre or so behind the jack. Sophie's second is level with the jack but narrow. Kelsey makes the correction with her second and draws the shot just past. She then adds a second and Australia hold 2 at the changeover. Ellens first just comes under on the wrong side of Kelsey's short shot bowl - Karen covers the back in reply. Great bowl from Ellen to collect the jack and pull it across on the backhand to hold two. A drive from Karen comes across the head narrow. One bowl left from each skip - Ellen puts another bowl in the head and Karen's last drive holds out wide on the forehand.
End 16 Good opening bowl from Sophie lands a metre past the jack and a good response from Kelsley to hold shot. Sophie's last bowl just misses the jack and narrowly misses slicing the jack back for 3. Australia hold one at the changeover. Ellen's first bowl pulls up just short of being shot and Karen's first bowl is narrow and short. A top bowl from Ellen comes in for shot on her second attempt and Karen's second bowl is narrow again. Another great bowl from Ellen touches the jack back to make 2 shots and a measure for the third! Karen's last bowl is a draw to save - her weight was good but she runs into her own short bowl. Australia conceed 3 and a measure for the foruth! 3 shots to England with 2 ends to go! A tight finish!
End 15 A very good bowl from Sophie with her second sits 6 inches directly behing the jack, her other two bowls in good position behind the jack. England holding one as the players change over. With her first, Karen draws a toucher on her backhand but slices the jack the wrng and is still one down. Ellen puts another bowl into the head just out of the count. Karen switches to the forehand looking to roll her own bowl over for shot just sails past on the wide side. A good last bowl from Ellen requires the umpire's assistance to measure for second.
End 14 The English pair have changed things up a bit - the mat is back on the 2 metre mark and the jack is thrown to a medium length end. All bowls apart from one Aussie bowl pull up short of the jack by about 1-2 feet making it challenging to get to the jack. With her first, Ellen knocks up her teammates bowl to hold the shot. Karen is heavy with her first and rolls right past the head around the back. Ellens next is in good position covering the two Australian bowls at the back. Karen;s second is a great bowl and draws in for short sitting directly behind the jack. Ellen is slightly wide with her last and Austrlia hold one shot with their last bowl still to come - Karen is unable to add another and drifts past the head wide.
End 13 A good tussle between the leads on this end - Australia holding one at the changeover. Karen's second bowl comes up into the head slightly narrow and heavy and flicks the jack across to the English bowl to be one down. She is unable to make up for it with her last - Ellen's last bowl just gets caught up again by a short bowl.
End 12 England have pulled the mat right back and thrown a full length end but it's Australia holding two as the skips come down to play their bowls. Two good bowls from Karen see Australia holding two shots and a measure with one bowl left from each skip. Another run at the head from Ellen sees her take out one Australian bowl and Karen just slips past with her last.
End 11 Two great bowls from the English lead see her tuck the jack out of sight to hold one shot at the crossover. A brilliant bowl from Karen arrives into the head to sit the shot bowl out and hold two - Ellen looks to play a similar shot to Karens but gets caught up in a couple fo short bowls. Karens plays another great shot by drawing in for three and Ellen comes up to inspect the head. An agressive shot from Ellen with her second on the backhand just misses the jack on the high side and Karen puts another bowl around the back. A brilliant shot from Ellen with her last cleans out the 3 shot bowls to tie things up!
End 10 This time the mat has been bought up but the length of the ends is till short. The lead bowls are slighlty scattered and it's Australia holding one at the changeover. Both skips struggling to jump onto the jack with their first two bowls and Australia still hold one shot woth two bowls left in the end. Karen corrects nicely with her last bowl promoting her teammates bowl up level with the jack. A great attempt by Ellen to draw the show but her bowl flops out instead of inwards and Austrlaia takes one.
End 9 The Aussies have decided to shorten things up and make the end short. It pays dividends as Kelsey draws a toucher with her first and Sophie's first bowl lands a metre past. As the skips cross over Australia hold two. Karen draws the shot itself with her first and Ellen pulls up short with her first. Pressure now on Ellen as Karen adds anothe bowl just the behind the head but again Ellen cuts her line and ends up jack level. With her last Karen puts one right round the back. This time Ellen attacks the head and removes one Aussie bowl from the count.
End 8 More of a scattered head this time from both leads - the shot bowl from England is about 18 inches short of the jack at the changeover - Ellen adds a second with her first putting Karen under pressure. With her second bowl Ellen adds to the count with to make it 3. Karen come across the head narrow with her second - England holding 3 shots with one shot left from both skips. Top shot from Karen with her last sees her promote Kelsey's bowl up enough for shot.
End 7 Good steady leading from both players - all bowls are past the head with England holding one shot at the crossover. A tentative first bowl from Karen pulls up short and narrow and Ellen uses that bowl to slide into the head to count. Karen's second bowl slides through the head by a metre and Ellen gets caught up in amongst the two short bowls with her next. Great effort from Karen with he last but rolls on too much by just a couple of rolls. Opportunity opens for Ellen to make 3 - she plays a lovely bowl to take 3.
End 6 A shorter end this time with the umpires checking the length. At the crossover Australia hold 3 shots, with England bowls at the back. Karen shifts the jack with her first, still 3 to Australia. Ellen draws with her first just coming up short of the shot bowls. No change in the position. Karen draws again, this tme playing longer over the head to cover the English back bowls. Ellen runs at the head and connects with her own bowl. Australia now hold 5. Karen needs to cover the spot now and plays around the head to secure that position. Last bowl for England... Another run from Ellen connects with the jack and moves it out wide of the head. Umpire is called to measure for shot. It's a long measure and the decision is 1 shot to Australia.
End 5 After the leads have played their bowls, England are holding one shot - not too many options on for Karen but she plays a great bowl to move the jack back two feet to hold two shots. With her next bowl Karen covers the respot mark limitin the options for England. A number of short bowls make it hard to get at the head with weight but Karen's last bowl pulls up short. Ellen is unable to reduce the count and Australia have now narrowed the gap.
End 4 Both leads are starting to find their radar. The shot has changed 3 times with Australia holding one at the crossover. Ellen Faulker plays a cracker to sit Kelsey's shot bowl out and hold two shots - a great reply from Karen to rest up on the shot bowl but gets the wrong side of it; it's now a measure for shot with bowl left from each skip. A great bowl from Karen with her last to rest out Ellen's shot bowl and take two shots. A great head!
End 3 Playing a long end, the first bowl from Sophie is good but Kelsey's reply is even better drawing a front toucher. Kelsey's next bowl hits the wrong side of Sophie's closest in for shot. Ellen appears to be in fine form this morning - slides off her own shot bowl right onto the jack! Karen's first is narrow and finishes in the back corner of the rink and Ellen does a great job to cover it with her next. Again Karen chooses to play through the head with head but this time she is on the high side. Another good positional bowl from Ellen makes Karen come up to inspect the head. With a great deal of contemplation Karen opts to take the medicine and not play her last bowl and go one down as there is great danger for the Aussies to drop a multiple.
End 2 Another good end from Kelsey - a toucher with her last dragging the jack back to her other bowl sees Australia holing at least 2 at the change over. A great bowl from Ellen slides past from jack and Australia still holding one. Karen's first bowl then slides through the head.Both skips overcorrect and pull up short with their next. A great bowl from Ellen with her last sneaks around Kelsey's shot bowl for shot. With her last bowl Karen plays reaching the head but clips out their own bowl and conceed another shot.
Great leading from Kelsey - first two bowls on the jack and one covering the back of the rink. Australia hold 2 shots as the skips come down to play their bowls. A top shot from Ellen from with second to run both of Kelsey's shot bowls off the head - Karen unable to draw the shot.