2023 Para Home Nations - Day 1 Report

Scotland made a winning start to the Para Home Nations at Newport Indoor Bowls Centre this evening by clinching four wins from their seven respective matches against home nation Wales.

Current Bowls Scotland Para Open Pairs champion, Daniel Porter, was the star performer on day one as he led the way with a comfortable 21-6 win against Ben Tear in the Physically Disabled Singles. Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Garry Brown, also followed suit with a 21-13 victory of his own over Raymond Lillicrop. Mary Stevenson and Ian Graham made it a hat-trick of Scottish wins in the Visually Impaired Mixed Pairs and Sandra Watters also received a walkover in the Visually Impaired Singles.

There were disappointing defeats for the Scots in both Physically Disabled Triples matches for the teams of Rosemary Lenton, Stuart Stevens & Glen Livingston and Fraser Mathieson, Mike Nicoll & Pauline Wilson. Robert Barr battled hard against Toby Warren in the Visually Impaired Singles and was unlucky to just miss out with his last bowl to lose 14-16.

Earlier today Wales managed to record four wins out of their seven encounters with England, so they currently sit in first place in the overall standings. Scotland take on England tomorrow morning and Wales in the evening in what will be vital matches if the team are to return home with the trophy on Sunday. Reports from these games will be provided tomorrow evening.

Session One v Wales:

• Visually Impaired Singles – Robert Barr (with Director, Sarah Jane Ewing) 14 v Toby Warren 16
• Visually Impaired Singles – Sandra Watters (with Director, George Miller) 5-0 W/O v Allan Jones
• Visually Impaired Mixed Pairs – Mary Stevenson (with Director, Chris Morrow) & Ian Graham (with Director, Jim Aitken) 14 v Julie Thomas (with Director, Jamie Jones) & John Cox (with Director, Chris Maggs) 6
• Physically Disabled Singles – Daniel Porter 21 v Ben Tear 6
• Physically Disabled Singles – Garry Brown 21 v Raymond Lillicrop 13
• Physically Disabled Triples – Rosemary Lenton, Stuart Stevens & Glen Livingston 4 v Babs Woolmore, Shaun Peregrine & Kevin Woolmore 12
• Physically Disabled Triples – Fraser Mathieson, Mike Nicoll & Pauline Wilson 12 v Robert Sawyers, Chris Spriggs & Paul Brown 23

OVERALL STANDINGS (After Day One):

1^st – Wales: 14 points -24     

2^nd – Scotland: 8 points +15

3^rd – England: 6 points +9