MALVERN Hills Indoor Bowls Club member, George Ridgeon from Churchdown, just missed winning the Australia 2000 Men's Pairs Bowls Event for wheelchair players by one shot.

Leading for Kevin Woolmore (Wrexham) they were seven up with two ends to play but lost a four and three they missed the play off by one shot! Getting a Bohemian Crystal bowl each.

There were five men and three ladies from the four home countries. Percy Powell (London) & John Robertson (Edinburgh) getting third place from Patsy Bell (Belfast) & Alan Cunningham (Scarborough).

Ridgeon says it rained for the first five days and had to play indoors, which helped all the UK bowlers, moving outdoors for the semi and final games.

The ladies did better Val Bradley (Scarborough) & Val Robertson (Edinburgh) winning the ladies pairs and Bradley taking the singles 25-24 from an Aussie lady.

Ridgeon made it to the last 16 in the singles out of 36 entries, Bell being the highest UK player, losing third to a Japanese player. Entries came from all Australian states, England and NI, Scotland, Wales, Israel, South Africa, NZ, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and India.

Bowls had been taken out of the Paralympics as 18 countries do not play it. So the Australian Wheelchair Bowlers opened up their state nationals to make a world event in Olympic year.

All the GB players paid for themselves to wave the flag for the old country!