New Zealand lawn bowler Katelyn Inch has qualified for the women's singles quarter-finals at the Commonwealth Games despite losing a thrilling final pool match on Sunday evening.
Inch lost to Malaysia's Siti Ahmad 20-21 in her final round robin game despite the Kiwi jumping out to an impressive 11-1 lead after nine ends of play.
Ahmad started to claw her way back into the contest though, slowly chipping away at Inch's lead before tying things at 16-16 at end 22.
Over the next two ends she got herself to match point with a 20-16 advantage but a determined Inch hung in the fight and forced the match to sudden death at 20-20 before Ahmad managed to seal the deal in 27th end.
It was Inch's first loss at Leamington Spa this week, having previously beaten Singapore, Niue and England to enter the day with a 3-0 record.
Finishing 3-1, Inch has done enough to progress to the quarter-finals for the event and will now face Guernsey's Lucy Beere on Monday morning NZT for a spot in the semis.
Beere enters the contest undefeated to date in Birmingham.
It's one of two confirmed quarter-finals for the New Zealand lawn bowls team at this year's Commonwealth Games with the women's four - made up of Val Smith, Tayla Bruce, Ali Forsyth and Selina Goddard - also competing early Monday morning NZT in a quarter-final against Botswana.
The quartet are also undefeated in Birmingham having won two of their three games against Wales and Niue before rounding out pool play with a tie against South Africa.
A third Kiwi team could also play a quarter-final Monday morning in the men's pair, however Shannon McIlroy and Tony Grantham need to be group leaders Scotland by more than five points to advance on Sunday evening.
New Zealand's three para lawn bowls teams are also in action on day three, playing section play Monday morning as they continue their own charges towards playoffs.
SHARE ME