THAT history-making first-ever Commonwealth medal for Jersey in lawn bowls came tantalisingly close to being achieved at the Darebin International Centre in Melbourne this morning – but, after an exciting bronze medal play-off with New Zealand, Gaynor Thomas and Suzie Dingle had to settle for fourth.

The Jersey duo won the first set at a canter, conceding only three singles, and were only two shots adrift after six ends in the second, when Jan and Marina Khan forced them into a tie-break with a treble and a single.

Thomas and Dingle again took the initiative, winning the first of the tense best-of-three ends challenge, but the Kiwis took the second end, and Dingle missed narrowly with her attempts to take the jack into the ditch on the sudden death third end, as New Zealand returned a 3-8, 11-5, 2-1 card.

The Khan sisters are the daughters of Millie Khan, who won a silver medal at the Games in Auckland in 1990, but who died three years ago.

Sheila McGinnigle, manager of Jersey’s women’s team, said: ‘I’m so proud of the girls, who have done so well to finish in fourth place in what is, in effect, a world championship, as all the best bowling nations are here.’ She added: ‘Of course it’s a shade disappointing to miss out on a medal, but in the pairs, as in the triples, we would probably have settled for fourth place before we flew to Australia.’ John Price, a former Games silver medallist, world indoor champion and now a BBC commentator, was impressed with what he saw.

‘Gaynor played well at lead, but I was most impressed with Suzie’s ability to attack the head when necessary,’ Price said.

‘Even on that last end, I thought she was going to do it, and she wasn’t far away.’ He added: ‘After missing by a fraction with her first bowl, she seemed to brush the ground with her second, which took a bit of weight off – otherwise she would have played the winning shot, and Jersey would have won a medal.

‘It’s a marvellous achievement for Jersey, with only a few greens and a few hundred players, to hack it with some of the best players in the world,’ he said.

It was a good day for Jersey’s singles representatives, Karina Bisson and Allan Quémard, who both returned winning cards, and kept their hopes of places in the quarter-finals very much alive.

Bisson defeated Essie Sanchez, from Norfolk Island, 5-7, 9-8, 2-0, and will complete her group programme with an appetising encounter with one of the title-favourites, Maria Rigby, from the host country.

Quémard, who was unlucky to lose to the Fijian Caucau Turagabeci yesterday, enjoyed better luck this morning, as he took the scalp of South Africa’s top star Gerry Baker, 6-5, 3-16, 2-1.

Having edged the first set, AQ was outplayed in the second, but he knew that he was assured of a tiebreak, and he made the most of the format, taking the first and third ends for a notable victory.

The worst that the Island’s pair, Derek Boswell and Gus McKinnon can do is finish 12th, which would be a creditable performance after they just failed to make it into the quarter finals.

Men’s singles – Allan Quémard bt Gerry Baker (South Africa) 6-5, 3-16, 2-1.

He will complete his group programme tomorrow with a match against Mia Tuteru (Cook Islands).

Men’s pairs (classification match for places 9-12) – Derek Boswell & Gus McKinnon lost to Northern Ireland 7-8, 5-9, and will complete their classification round-robin against New Zealand tomorrow.

Ladies’ singles: Karina Bisson bt Essie Sanchez (Norfolk Island) 5-7, 9-8, 2-0.

She will complete her group programme tomorrow with a match against Australia’s Maria Rigby, needing a win to have any chance of progressing.

Ladies’ pairs – Bronze medal play-off: Gaynor Thomas & Suzie Dingle lost to Marina & Jan Khan (New Zealand) 8-3, 5-11, 1-2.