England\u2019s Stef Branfield remains the only unbeaten woman in the field at the World Bowls Champion of Champions, while Australia\u2019s Max Kleinig and Scotland\u2019s Iain McLean have maintained perfect records in the men\u2019s competition. Elsewhere, several sections remain wide open, with Friday\u2019s final round set to decide who moves through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Branfield has taken control of Women\u2019s Section 1 after adding another two wins on Thursday. The England international has now won all seven of her matches, alongside one bye, to move to 21 game points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Malta\u2019s Rebecca Rixon, who led after the opening two days, sits second on 18 points and has completed her section matches, with a bye in Friday\u2019s final round. New Zealand\u2019s Mandy Boyd has continued her climb through the section and is now third on 15 points, after sitting seventh at the end of day one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That sets up a significant final match between Branfield and Boyd at 8am on Friday on the live stream. Branfield has already secured top spot, while Boyd has an opportunity to draw level with Rixon on 18 points. Former champion Anne Nunes sits fourth on 12 points and finishes against Spain\u2019s Isobel McKay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women\u2019s Section 2 has changed considerably during the day. Hong Kong, China\u2019s Helen Cheung now leads with 15 points, ahead of the Cook Islands\u2019 Tiare Jim and Australia\u2019s Natalie Lewis. All three have five wins, two losses and a bye, with Cheung holding the advantage through sets won.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And there is still plenty that can change. Cheung faces Malaysia\u2019s Ain Nurnajwa on Friday, Lewis meets Macao, China\u2019s Hilda Tam, and Jim plays Switzerland\u2019s Marianne Kuenzle. South Africa\u2019s Sue Tarr has completed her matches and sits on 12 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women\u2019s Section 3 also remains close heading into its seventh and final round. Wales\u2019 Ysie White has moved clear at the top with five wins from six and 15 game points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Behind her, Canada\u2019s Joanna Cooper, India\u2019s Bangita Hazarika and the Philippines\u2019 Vilma Greenlees are all on 12 points. Hazarika and Greenlees meet each other in the final round, while Cooper faces Norfolk Island\u2019s Debra Adams. White finishes against Botswana\u2019s Gadromelwe Pelemo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is just as much still to settle in the men\u2019s competition.
India\u2019s Putul Sonowal continues to lead Section 1 with five wins from six and 15 points, but New Zealand\u2019s Rohan Ware, Canada\u2019s Pat Bird and South Africa\u2019s Nik\u0161a Benguri\u0107 are all just three points behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Friday brings two matches that could have a major say in the final order. Ware faces Bird in a direct meeting between second and third, while Sonowal takes on Botswana\u2019s Edwin Nyoka Jnr. Benguri\u0107 finishes against Argentina\u2019s Raul Angel Pollet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
England\u2019s Isaac Jenner has created the biggest gap at the top of any of the men\u2019s sections outside the two unbeaten leaders. Jenner has five wins from six and sits on 15 points in Section 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Behind him, five players are locked on nine points, led by Singapore\u2019s Harriman Yuen and T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s Ozkan Akar. Akar has worked his way back into the section after being unable to compete on the opening day, while the group behind Jenner means the final placings remain far from settled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jenner finishes against Fiji\u2019s Ramesh Chand, while Akar meets the Philippines\u2019 Hommer Mercado and Guernsey\u2019s Todd Priaulx faces Namibia\u2019s Gordon Damster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Australia\u2019s Max Kleinig remains perfect in Men\u2019s Section 3. The Australian has won six from six, collecting 18 game points and a +64 shot difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Malaysia\u2019s Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple is his closest challenger on 15 points, and the draw has produced a fitting finish to the section. Kleinig and Dzulkeple meet each other at 10am on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cyprus\u2019 Bob Manson is third on 12 points and meets Malta\u2019s Jason Borg in his final match.
Scotland\u2019s Iain McLean has also continued his unbeaten run in Section 4. The 2014 Champion of Champions winner has six wins from six, 18 game points and a +74 shot difference after another two victories on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sweden\u2019s Pontus Palmkvist remains close behind on 15 points, with Hong Kong, China\u2019s Chadwick Chen third on 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McLean finishes section play against Sri Lanka\u2019s Ranjith Randeniya, while Palmkvist meets USA\u2019s Charlie Herbert. Chen faces Niue\u2019s Stanley Frederick Tafatu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With one section match remaining for each player still in action, Friday morning will settle the final standings before attention turns to the post section stage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
England\u2019s Stef Branfield remains the only unbeaten woman in the field at the World Bowls Champion of Champions,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16445,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[449],"class_list":["post-16444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsbeat","tag-lawn-bowls"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t