Aust bowls team to get home Games edge

Dec 5, 2017 - 4:18 AM Australia's lawn bowls team will head into camp on the Gold Coast later this month seeking to capitalise on their home advantage over their Commonwealth Games rivals.

The 10-strong team named on Tuesday includes three current world champions in veteran Karen Murphy plus Aaron Wilson and Rebecca Van Asch, who will both be making their Commonwealth Games debuts next year.

The squad will assemble for a training camp at the Games venue, Broadbeach Bowls Club, where the selectors will sort out who plays in each of the four disciplines of singles, pairs, triples and fours.

But the team say there is also much to be gained from spending more time getting used to the conditions there.

"There's four greens up in Broadbeach and then you've got the idiosyncracies, so it's near the beach, the wind can swirl, the speeds are a bit different," said experienced team member Barrie Lester of Victoria..

"I've proven that I can play well on those greens ... winning the Australian Open (there) this year was one of the achievements that really pushed my case forward for the Commonwealth Games."

The 42-year-old Murphy, the reigning world singles champion and 2006 Commonwealth Games singles gold medallist, will be at her fifth Games, equalling the mark set by Rex Johnston for the most by any Australian bowler.

Australian team:-

Men: Barrie Lester (Vic), Nathan Rice (Qld), Aron Sherriff (Qld), Brett Wilkie (Qld), Aaron Wilson (NSW)

Women: Kelsey Cottrell (NSW), Carla Krizanic (Vic), Karen Murphy (NSW), Natasha Scott (NSW), Rebecca Van Asch (Tas)

Source: AAP