A GREAT win for Jersey over Scotland in the men’s triples was the highlight of today’s play at Darebin in Melbourne, where group play in the Commonwealth Games bowls championships finally got under way.

A brilliant last bowl from skip Lee Nixon bagged a count of four to ensure a 7-7, 11-5 result, and more than made up for an earlier defeat at the hands of a strong South African trio.

Jersey team manager Peter Le Long was disappointed but far from downhearted at that defeat sustained by Alan Shaw, John Lowery and Lee Nixon.

‘It was a bit of a surprise to start in the rain,’ Le Long said.

‘But the lads played really well against the South Africans, and it was just a couple of crucial ends that let them down.’ The Jersey trio were level pegging with Eric Johannes, Gippo Vermeulen and the vastly experienced Neil Burkett at 4-4 after six ends of the opening set, but dropped a three on the pivotal seventh end, and lost the set, 11-4.

Bouncing back at the start of the second set, Nixon’s men looked poised to square the match and take the South Africans into a tiebreak when they led 5-2 after four ends, when disaster struck again.

Counting four shots on the fifth and another four on the eighth, the Proteas (that’s the new, politically-correct name for the Springboks), who scored on only four ends to Jersey’s five, returned a flattering 11-4, 11-7 scorecard.

Meanwhile, Peter’s wife Gina was skipping Christine Grimes and Gean O’Neil to a fine 7-7, 13-3 ladies’ triples victory over three lively competitors from the Cook Islands, who always add grace and charm to proceedings.

The colourfully-named Nane Tere, Mata Raeputa and Dorothy Paniani took an unexpected 5-0 lead at the start of the first set, but the Jersey trio hit back to square the set, and dominated proceedings in the second, dropping only a double on the fourth end and a single on the seventh.

Peter and Gina were delighted to learn that their daughter – the high profile Lindsey Greechan, a former world indoor junior champion – had given birth on Saturday to a bouncing baby boy, called Taylor.

‘That’s as good as a gold medal as far as we’re concerned,’ laughed Peter, before returning to his post to shout on the triple to further success – this time against mighty Scotland.

A 7-7 tie in the first set was followed by a gruelling second set in which no quarter was asked or given, but a Jersey treble on the eighth end sent them into the last end with a 7-5 advantage.

The Scots built up a potentially winning count of three shots, as Lowery was unlucky to slip through a gap with his two bowls – but Nixon struck accurately to send the jack out of bounds, and the re-spot gave Jersey four shots for a shock 7-7, 11-5 victory.

The ladies’ triple kept their unbeaten record intact with a good win over Samoa, though they had to endure some anxious moments before getting home on a tiebreak, 13-6, 8-12, 2-1.

Derek Boswell, who was introduced to bowls 11 years ago by Gus McKinnon, is partnering his fellow-Scot in the pairs – and the Jersey duo experienced an amazing double-tie with Norfolk Island, only to give best on a tiebreak.

Meanwhile, in the ladies’ pairs, Gaynor Thomas and Suzie Dingle chalked up a great straight sets win over Fiji, scoring a three on the very first end and three trebles in the second set for a 9-6, 10-6 victory.

Men’s – pairs: Jersey lost to Norfolk Island 6-6, 8-8, 1-2.

Triples: Jersey lost to South Africa 4-11, 7-11; Guernsey bt Brunei 8-7, 4-12, 2-1; Jersey bt Scotland 7-7, 11-5; Cook Islands bt Guernsey 10-5, 13-4.

Ladies – pairs: Jersey bt Fiji 9-6, 10-6.

Triples: Jersey bt Cook Islands 7-7, 13-3; Jersey bt Samoa 13-6, 8-12, 2-1.