By Val Febbo
Australia’s Jackaroos will feature in two gold medal matches on the last day of competition at Glasgow 2026 with the Para men’s and women’s pairs teams producing stunning displays in their respective semifinals.
Para men’s pairs
Damien Delgado and James Reynolds will play for gold against New Zealand thanks to a dominant 8-2 9-0 win over Scotland’s Garry Brown and Stuart Sloan in the semifinal.
The duo avoided a tiebreak for the first time in their 6-1 4-4 win over the Scots in the morning to go unbeaten in their sectional rounds and set up the rematch in the semis.
The semifinal saw Delgado and Reynolds claim a four with the inaugural end before netting singles on the next two top boast a 6-0 advantage with two ends remaining.
Scotland would score for the first time on the penultimate exchange but the reigning World Bowls Championships winners negated their score to take the set in style.
The first end of the second saw Delgado and Reynolds score a terrific three that kept the momentum in their favour.
After the crossover on end two, Reynolds would be able to get the count to a triple before they backed up for a 7-0 buffer after three.
Needing to win the end or only drop a one on the fourth end of the set, Delgado and Reynolds performed in exemplary fashion to take the contest.
It guarantees that both will earn their second Commonwealth Games medals with Delgado a silver medallist in Birmingham 2022 and Reynolds a bronze medallist in Manchester 2002.
Should they defeat New Zealand’s Kurt Smith and Mark Noble tomorrow (Sunday 8:50pm AEST), they will join teammate Jake Fehlberg as the only para bowlers to win gold at both the Commonwealth Games and World Bowls Championships.
Para women’s pairs
Louise Hoskins and Serena Bonnell will front up for golf for after a 6-4 5-1 victory over Scotland’s Mary and Pauline Wilson.
The Scots overcame the Australians 4-3 5-2 in their morning meeting to ensure that the teams, like the para men, would face off again in the semifinals.
As soon as the night session began, the Australians looked locked in, emerging with a 4-0 buffer after the opening two ends.
Scotland responded in fine fashion to nail a three after a tense measure to cut the gap to one before Bonnell played a stirring fourth end to restore a buffer heading into the final exchange.
The Australians would clinch it before gaining a 3-0 buffer to start the second and have one hand on a place in tomorrow’s decider.
Scotland threw everything at Hoskins and Bonnell but it would be the Australians setting up a showdown with New Zealand’s Julie O’Connell and Teri Blackbourn for gold.
It guarantees Bonnell a second Commonwealth Games medal after silver in Birmingham 2022, while Hoskins will medal on debut and as Australia’s oldest athlete at Glasgow 2026.
The final against New Zealand will be played on Sunday evening at 7:25pm AEST.
Women’s singles
Ellen Fife’s title defence has also ended despite an 8-4 5-7 3-0 win against Emily Jim of the Cook Islands, with Katherine Rednall able to do enough to make her way into the semifinals.
Fife raced out of the blocks, opening a 6-1 lead after just four ends to ensure that the set would fall in her favour.
Needing a straight sets victory to give herself the best shot of progression, Jim would prove to be a thorn in the side of the Australian as she opened up a 6-1 buffer with two ends to go.
Fife would produce a huge penultimate end to score a four and narrow the gap to one before Jim played a brilliant end to hold on to clinch the set.
The Australian would control the tiebreak, nailing it to take a vital victory and force Rednall to win her last game.
Unfortunately it was not to be for Fife as Rednall defeated Daphne Archer-Almond 5-4 6-4.
Men’s pairs
It was not the ending that Corey Wedlock and Gary Kelly would have liked to their campaign, going down 8-2 2-5 8-1 to New Zealand’s Tony Grantham and Ali Forsyth.
The Blackjacks were on fire from the outset, negating any shot that the Australians would throw at them across an important first few ends.
Grantham and Forsyth continued to pile on the shots as they took the opening set in commanding fashion.
Wedlock and Teys responded in style however, taking the second set thanks to some tight bowls from both across the five ends.
The tiebreak saw Grantham play a brilliant end before Wedlock opened things up at the crossover, but it was the New Zealanders who were able to gain the win and end the Australians’ campaign.
