World Cup boost for Ansari Down Under

Ansari, who lives in Lenzie and bowls for Lenzie Bowling Club outdoors and Cumbernauld Indoor Bowling Club indoors, was up against it after losing three of his opening four matches in the competition at Warilla in New South Wales.

But he has now moved up the standings in his pool and, with two games still to play, still has an outside chance of going through.

The 27-year-old got his bid back on track with a victory over Rudi Jacobs of South Africa. Ansari took the first set 10-4 before Jacobs hit back to win the second 11-3.

However it was Ansari who prevailed 4-1 in the decider to secure a much-needed boost.

Ansai was then desperately unluckly to lose his next match against Spain’s Peter Bonsor, a defeat which could in the end prove crucial.

Bonsor went into the match with just one loss from his first five matches but Ansari matched him for the first two sets which both ended 6-6, only to be edged out 4-2 in the deciding set.

Ansari maintained his hopes of progress with his most convincing performance to date as he defeated Turkey’s Ozkan Akar 8-4 14-2.

That win leaves Ansari in fifth position in his pool with two games to play.

Winners from each of the competition’s two pools go directly into the semis and the second and third-placed players going into a play-off competition with bowlers from the competition’s other pool.

Ansari still has to play fourth-placed Homer Mercado from the Phillippines and Japan’s Jun Koyama and will have to win both - and hope other results go his way - to have a chance of goping through.