Second gold for Tassie lawn bowler Rebecca van Asch

TASMANIA’S Rebecca van Asch has played a crucial role in helping Australia’s lawn bowlers win a second Commonwealth Games gold medal.

The victorious women’s triples lawn bowls team of Rebecca van Asch, left, Natasha Scott and Carla Krizanic pose with their gold medals. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty

TASMANIA’S Rebecca van Asch has played a crucial role in helping Australia’s lawn bowlers win a second Commonwealth Games gold medal.

Seventy-two hours after breaking Australia’s lawn bowls gold medal drought, three-quarters of the Aussie women’s fours team have walked away with a second gold by dominating Scotland in the women’s triples.

Coming into the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Australia hadn’t won a gold medal in lawn bowls since Melbourne 2006.

A win in the women’s fours on Monday snapped that 12-year hoodoo but Natasha Scott, Carla Krizanic and Rebecca van Asch weren’t finished with one gold and they dominated the triples competition as well.

Lawn bowler Rebecca van Asch rolls in another Tassie gold medal

Scotland put up a brave fight to stretch the game to 17 ends but it was delaying the inevitable and in the end they were outclassed 21-12 by the Aussie trio.

The Scots were left rueing a critical seventh end, when they trailed 9-5 but held four shots, only for van Asch to deliver a drive that knocked them all out and give the Aussies the shot and a 10-5 lead.

From there it was a steady progression to victory for the Aussies.

Rebecca van Asch’s drive to finish off the seventh end effectively snuffed out Scotland’s chances in the final. Picture: AAP/Darren England

The Aussies emulated their celebrations from a few days earlier, with the boisterous Scott lifting Krizanic up in the air in a joyful bearhug.

The Australian bowls team also delivered some well-earned hugs on the greens.

One of the most amazing parts of the women’s triples win was that Scott, van Asch and Krizanic had to curtail their fours gold medal celebrations outside the Broadbeach venue on Monday and go and play in a triples preliminary. They won that game and powered through to another gold medal.

It was Australia’s second gold of the day at Broadbeach after a win in the B6/B7/B8 triples event.

Led by Australia’s oldest Commonwealth Games athlete, Ken Hanson, the team dramatically stole gold after Hanson produced the ball of his life with the final delivery of the final to pinch a 14-13 win over New Zealand.

Rebecca van Asch, right, congratulates teammates Natasha Scott, centre, and Carla Krizanic as they make their way to another Commonwealth Games gold medal. Picture: AAP/Darren England

Having comeback from 10-3 down to take the lead at the final change, the Kiwis were on track to claim the title before Hanson’s heroics.

The 68-year-old then blasted two New Zealand balls away from the jack and sealed the win with the perfect draw shot to send the Broadbeach Lawn Bowls club into raptures.

“There wasn’t no draw shot or anything like that. It was just to let it go as hard as I could and hope I hit the right ball, which it did,” Hanson said of his first ball.

“It went onto the other one, that was a bonus, which left us with (one more).”

Hanson, who is easily the most senior member of Australia’s Games team, said he had never dreamt of wearing gold on the podium.

“If you had of told me 18 months ago that I’d be standing here about to get a gold medal, I would’ve said you’re kidding yourself,” he said. “I never would’ve even entertained the idea of playing in the Commonwealth Games of the disability but we’ve been through a lot together us guys and we’re not a bad combination.”