Bowls: Owen has hand in trophy win

Rotorua's Gina Owen has helped the New Zealand Indoor Bowls team regain the Henselite Trophy, in a convincing victory against Australia.

The Mat Blacks took just two days, instead of the scheduled three, to beat Australia in a test match played at Morayfield in Queensland on Thursday and Friday.

In posting a 35-9 win over Australia, New Zealand regained the Henselite Trophy which had been held by Australia since 2009.

The New Zealanders went into the second day ahead 16-6, after winning eight of the eleven events.

On the second day they did even better, taking out the men's and women's singles, men's and women's eight-bowl pairs and the men's and women's triples.

They also won the women's fours.

Westbrook Indoor Bowls Club representative Owen played as the lead in the women's triples and fours for New Zealand.

Australia's only success on the second day was in the mixed fours.

Former New Zealand Indoor Bowls president Trevor Rayner described Friday's effort as a "focused and disciplined day of bowls".

The New Zealand team was managed by former international Pat Hoult. The test match was completed on Saturday.