Ready for combat

Perennial winners Rob Wild, Alex Murtagh and Sean Baker will chase the BCiB Queensland Open men’s triples’ title tomorrow after advancing to the championship decider.

Having secured back-to-back state titles, the best the Sunshine State has to offer will confront southern raiders Chris Green, Barrie Lester and Mark Jacobsen for the grand prix title.

During this afternoon’s semi-finals, Baker guided his combination to a 9-9, 10-2 victory over Western Australia’s Farley Anderson, Trystan Smallacombe and Neale Griffin, while Jacobsen, fresh off his victory in the pairs, eliminated Delhi representatives Brett Wilkie, Wayne Turley and Mark Casey 7-7, 6-5.

While Jacobsen has secured all the headlines this week following his blistering run at Bribie Island, Wild, Murtagh and Baker, three of the nation’s most promising young talents, have quietly gone about their business and will now contend for their maiden grand prix win.

Standing in their way, however, is the formidable combination of Green, a 2007 fours winner at the Queensland Open, as well as Lester and Jacobsen, both former Australian representatives.

According to Lester, who reached the third round of the singles and the semi-finals of the pairs alongside Green before losing out to his triples’ skip, tomorrow’s match will be a fierce battle between both sides.

“It’s always hard playing the reigning state champions,” Lester said.

“They appear to be a tight outfit, but so are we, so it will all come down to who ever can play the better bowls on the day.

“We’re pretty happy with the way we have played this week, but there’s still a game to go.”

The men’s triples final will commence at 9am on Thursday morning.

Click here for full results from the BCiB Queensland Open.

Caption: Pine Rivers' Alex Murtagh is through to the men's triples final at the BCiB Queensland Open.