Bowls: Boyd part of Black Jacks' magic

HUMMING: Angela Boyd as lead for the Black Jacks women's fours at the world championship in Christchurch. PHOTO/Bowls NZ

NOT too many New Zealand teams competing in different grades of a tournament, let alone bowls ones, can claim to have gone through a day's competition without a hiccup.

The Black Jacks did last night at the World Bowls Championship in Christchurch.

"Today the whole team of men and women's fours, triples, pairs and singles won all their games," an excited Hawke's Bay-born player Angela Boyd said after day two of the champs.

"We think it might have happened in the past but we think it's quite weird that the country would probably have a whole day undefeated so it's quite a cool achievement."

The 30-year-old early childhood teacher, who is part of the women's fours team, savoured a three out of three victories yesterday that saw them surge to the top of their section despite their opening-game loss to Singapore on Tuesday.

They beat Canada 16-10, Namibia 25-15 and Wales 22-13.

"We had quite a tight game against Canada first up and then then the other two we got them quite comfortably in the end," she said in her maiden world champs.

From today the top qualifiers of each section, comprising 10 teams playing nine qualifying rounds, would be guaranteed a medal so that was incentive in itself.

The women's fours play play Ireland, Hong Kong/China and Fiji.

"Ireland seem to be going pretty good and Fiji are our last game," she said, revealing the Pacific Islanders had won a couple of games and "are hanging in there".

Boyd said putting tick against any opponents for a win wasn't in the repertoire of the Black Jacks.

"They were a strong team the Aussies so we were quite pleased to be able to front up against them."

That, no doubt, gave them a surge of confidence on day one after they stumbled against Singapore but bounced back to trounce South Africa and the Aussies the same afternoon at her club, Burnside.

"We felt like we weren't gelling quite as well as a team and we didn't lose by many and it was our first game and we were still working things out so we were okay with it."

Lead Boyd, Katelyn Inch (2), Kirsten Edwards (3) and skip Val Smith held it together, knowing there were more games to play.

"We're getting to know each other and we're complementing each other," she said, highlighting someone always stepped one when another wasn't there.

A happy environment also added to a productive culture after they went into camp on November 16 with the entire Kiwi contingent.

"In a couple of close games we've been keeping positive ... so that's been helping our campaign."

Younger sister Mandy Boyd, also living and working in Christchurch as an early childhood teacher, is expecting her first baby on February 3.

"She's been down supporting the team during the whole tournament so that's pretty cool."

It was exciting time for the Boyd family and Mandy was keeping well.

"She has still been playing in interclubs around Christchurch and one of our training days in the world bowls campaign she played three games for us."

A laughing Boyd said her 25-year-old sister hadn't lost her touch on the mat and greens.

Jo Edwards, of Nelson, starts this morning clocking up her 500th game against 2014 Champion-of-Champion Singles runner-up Saskia Schaft, of the Netherlands.