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Unus Alladin

Last year it was a fairy tale, but this year a nightmare as defending champion Barrie Lester became the biggest casualty on the first day of singles at the International Bowls Classic, losing his first-round match on Saturday.
“My opponent played very well and I didn’t come up with the goods. He thoroughly deserved to win,” said the Australian, who lost to Club de Recreio’s Chau Wing-hon 9-8, 5-5.
“I was struggling to find my rhythm and I was playing scruffy. My opponent was playing consistent.”
Despite the ignominious defeat, the 31-year-old Melbourne-based bowler was not downhearted.
“We still have next week’s pairs competition to contend. I will team up with Matthew Baus and hopefully we will get a better result,” said Lester.
“I led 5-3 in the second set, but he [Chau] played two really good bowls and he thoroughly deserved to win. It was a case of him playing better than me,” said the Australian.
Chau was overjoyed at claiming the scalp of the tournament favourite. “Barrie was only playing 60 per cent. He wasn’t used to the USRC [United Services Recreation Club] rink. He needed time to adapt to the greens, which were new to him.
“He [Lester] played very well in the second set. He was initially leading by two shots but I successfully trailed the jack and won the end by two shots to tie the score at 5-5. I am overjoyed to have beaten him,” he said.
But Chau failed to maintain the momentum and lost in the second round to New Zealand’s Dan Delany 5-3, 7-5.
It was a day of champions crashing out as title-holder Sandy Hazell of England lost in the first round to Elizabeth Cormack of KCC, 6-7, 9-1, 3-0 in the women’s competition.
The quarter-finals were to be held Sunday morning at the Kowloon Bowling Green Club, with the final slated in the afternoon.


Defending champ Lester falls at the first hurdle in International Bowls Classic

Australia's Barrie Lester in action at last year's Hong Kong International Bowls Classic. Photo: SCMP

Sport

Hong Kong