TROWBRIDGE bowler Graham Shadwell and his pairs partner Jamie Chestney are the only members of the England men’s team to win a medal at the 2012 World Championships in Australia.

Shadwell, who plays for the Spencer Moulton club at Bradford on Avon, and Torquay’s Chestney (Kings BC), secured a bronze medal on Tuesday afternoon in Adelaide.

They finished joint top in their pairs group with ten wins out of 11 but Canada took pole placing on 20 points with a superior shots difference of 29.

That meant Shadwell and Chestney having to go into the sectional play-offs but they duly dispatched Wales 24-9 who had inflicted their only group defeat on them in the pool games.

However, with a medal now guaranteed, the England duo were then pipped in their semi-final on the last end by Scotland going down 13-12 but had the consolation of winning a bronze medal.

This was Shadwell’s second as he won a bronze in the fours at the 2008 world championships staged in Christchurch, New Zealand.

In the pairs semi-final against Scotland the England duo of Shadwell and Chestney led for most of the 18 ends match.

They were 4-1 up at three ends and held a 9-4 lead at ten ends. But Scotland’s Paul Foster and Alex Marshall had tied the match 9-9 on the 13th end.

England edged in front again but with three ends remaining the score was tied 10-10 after 15 ends.

Scotland then collected a two and a single to move 13-10 clear and on the last end Shadwell and Chestney could only score a two to finally lose 13-12.

On Wednesday, Shadwell had hopes of adding to his pairs bronze medal in the fours play-offs and semi-finals but he had to endure unfortunately another last end defeat.

In the fours together with Mark Bantock, Robert Newman (both Reading) and skip Stuart Airey (Carlisle, Cunbria) they had finished third in Pool 1 on 16 points from seven wins, two draws and two losses but it meant another trip to the sectional play-offs.

But this is where Shadwell’s medal hopes ended as South Africa edged home against them 16-15 and then defeated Ireland by one shot in the semi-finals 19-18 to book a place in the final against hosts Australia.

The England ladies also went out to South Africa in the fours play-offs beaten 24-19.

Therefore Torquay’s Natalie Melmore is England women’s only medallist in Australia.

She guaranteed herself at least a bronze in the ladies singles when topping her group and clinching an automatic semi-final spot.

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