Case out, Bester in
Young gun Aaron Teys from Warilla skinned Australian Jackaroo Mark Casey in the Men’s Singles semi tonight, setting up a final against Canadian international Ryan Bester from Broadbeach. Two “Queenslanders” went into today’s AO 2015 Men’s Singles semi finals but only one came out…Queensland’s adopted son Ryan Bester from host club Broadbeach.
The chance of an all-“Queensland” final was denied by a 21-year-old sensation from Warilla NSW, Aaron Teys, who stared down one of the greatest Singles performers in the sport, Helensvale ace and Australian Jackaroo Mark Casey.
“It was unreal bowls in both semi finals and I expect it to be the same tomorrow in the final,” Bester said.
In the earlier stages, it looked like Bester would romp into the final against Ascot Park SA’s Nathan Pederson and Casey would just squeeze out Teys.
But as it turned out, Pederson made a determined comeback, from 12-20 down, to 18-20, with Bester finally going 21-up by taking three shots on the 21st end.
Casey meanwhile saw his consistent margin of one or two blown out of the water, from 15-14 to 15-17 down.
He had his white bowls lined up like sentries in front of the jack, with Teys orange bowls higgledy-piggledy behind, but with a frim and gentle hand, Teys trailed the jack and took three shots, and that was the turning point of the game.
Teys went up 19-15, Case came back, 17-19.
Case hung on even after Teys went to 20-17, coming back 18-20.
On the 21st end, Teys ended Casey’s brilliant campaign, 21-18.
Teys is rapt to be going into his second AO final.
“I made the Pairs final in 2012, we were runners up, and I guess my best recent performance before now was the Australian PBA final last year, I got to play in the Scottish Open as a result,” Teys said.
Teys is like the “13th man” for NSW, called up this year for a series against Victoria, to fill an injury-vacancy.
Bester and Pederson watched the final stages of the Casey-Teys showdown and I asked Bester who he’d rather face in tomorrow’s final, the “known” giant of the game in Casey, or the “unknown” giant-slayer, Teys.
“It doesn’t matter to me, it’s all the same, I would rather have played Case because we’re friends, but it’s just good to be there,” Bester said.
Bester’s Broadbeach acolytes were out tonight to support him, from the junior academy to the “oldies”, Bester is a popular bowls coordinator for the AO finals host club Broadbeach.
“He’s so patient with the young ones, he’s very popular here at Broadbeach, and I’m sorry about Mark, but I’m very happy Ryan got through, I was sick to my stomach watching the semi, it’s a great thing for the club,” proud Broadbeach club manager Colleen Gilbert said.
