Silver medal for para lawn bowlers

6:44 pm on 12 April 2018

The New Zealand Para lawn bowls triples team has had to settle for silver after a thriller against Australia at the Commonwealth Games.

Lead Bruce Wakefield, Skip Mark Noble and Second Barry Wynks of New Zealand look on during the Para Men's Open Triples Final against Australia. Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Lawn Bowls, Gold Coast, Australia. 12 April 2018 © Copyright Photo: Anthony Au-Yeung / www.photosport.nz

Bruce Wakefield, Mark Noble and Barry Wynks look on during the Para Men's Open Triples Final against Australia. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2018 www.photosport.nz

New Zealand were struggling early on after the home favourites led 10-3 after the 7th end.

But the team, made up of Barry Wynks, Bruce Wakefield, and Mark Noble made a comeback to close within 10-8 after the 8th end.

Little by little they continued to chip away at Australia and went one ahead going into the final end.

But Australia's final bowl of the match sealed it, winning 14-13.

Wynks, who won silver in lawn bowls at Glasgow alongside Noble in the mixed triples, says they fought well throughout the tournament.

"You know in the round robin game against England we were getting tailed up there too but instead of panicking and trying to pick up fours and fives we just niggled away and got ones and two and the next minute we were right back into."

Wakefield is at his first Commonwealth Games and says it's pretty awesome.

"Not many others get a silver medal, just missed on gold by millimetres. Awesome experience, absolutely fantastic just to represent New Zealand and be at the Commonwealth Games, absolutely brilliant."