WYC Daily Update: Australia prepares for Mixed Team challenge in Kuching
By Matt Stevens
Australia returns to the lanes today for the Mixed Team event at the 2026 IBF World Youth Championships in Kuching.
There was plenty to celebrate for Team Australia on Friday, with Bella Westlake, Brianna Walsh, Emily Hart and Samantha Clifton claiming bronze in the Women’s Team event after progressing through a tough qualifying block and Matchplay campaign to reach the semi-finals.
With Julian Dinham locked in for semi-final action on Sunday and the Men’s Team gold medal match locked in for Monday, the Australian squad now turns its attention to the final team discipline of the Championships.
The Mixed Team event brings all eight Australian athletes together in two teams as they chase another place in the medal rounds.
What happened yesterday
Women’s Team Qualifying
Australia’s women fought hard to secure their place in the Women’s Team Matchplay stage, progressing after a challenging 10-game qualifying block in Kuching.
Bella Westlake, Brianna Walsh, Emily Hart, and Samantha Clifton faced a tight battle throughout the session, with the team needing to stay composed as the qualifying race unfolded. Their best game of 202 came in the second half of the block but did enough with consistent scoring in the first half to help keep Australia in contention.
Despite a difficult finish, the Australians did enough to remain inside the Top 16 cutline and advance to Matchplay.
Australia finished qualifying with a total of 1,762 at an average of 176.2, placing 14th.
| 180 | 180 | 175 | 170 | 186 |
| 202 | 173 | 179 | 152 | 165 |
| TOTAL | 1,762 |
| AVG. | 176.2 |
| SQUAD POS. | 14th |
Women’s Team Matchplay
Qualification may not have gone entirely to script, but the Australian women had earned their place among the 16 teams advancing to Matchplay – and from there, the slate was clean.
Bella Westlake, Brianna Walsh, Emily Hart and Samantha Clifton entered Group B needing to finish in the top two to progress to the semi-finals. They responded superbly, producing five wins from seven matches to top the group and book their place in the final four.
Australia opened with a hard-fought 178-165 win over the Philippines. It was not the highest-scoring contest, but the early points provided exactly the boost the team needed after a demanding qualifying block.
The Australians then edged Peru 191-189 in a thrilling finish. Holding a four-pin advantage entering the 10th frame, Samantha Clifton delivered two strikes before Peru matched the pressure. With one shot remaining, Clifton left two pins, but Peru’s strike was not enough to deny Australia a two-pin victory.
A third straight win followed against Japan, 206-164, moving Australia three points clear of its nearest challenger.
The women’s first loss came against Korea, 215-194, in a tight contest that showed just how close the standings had become. The result briefly pushed Australia outside the top two, setting up a crucial run home.
Australia responded in emphatic fashion against Singapore, one of the teams to move ahead following the Korea match. Both teams put together four consecutive strikes late, before Clifton came up clutch in the 10th frame with three strikes to seal a superb 238-210 victory and return Australia to the top of Group B.
A 197-180 loss to Germany in Game 6 meant everything came down to the final match. Australia entered the contest against Chinese Taipei in second place on 12 points, level with Singapore but behind on pinfall, while several other teams remained just one win behind.
Needing a win to progress without relying on a tie breaker, the Australians delivered when it mattered most, defeating Chinese Taipei 186-156 to secure first place in Group B and advance to the Women’s Team semi-finals.
| Game 1 | Australia defeated Philippines: 178-165 |
| Game 2 | Australia defeated Peru: 191-189 |
| Game 3 | Australia defeated Japan: 206-164 |
| Game 4 | Australia lost to Korea: 194-215 |
| Game 5 | Australia defeated Singapore: 238-210 |
| Game 6 | Australia lost to Germany: 197-180 |
| Game 7 | Australia defeated Chinese Taipei: 186-156 |
| Record | 5 wins 2 losses |
| Points | 15 points |
| Group Position | 1st in Group B |
| Average | 196.1 |
Women’s Team Semi-Final – Australia Vs United States of America
Australia’s Women Team campaign came to an end in the semi-finals, with the United States claiming a 2-0 victory to secure its place in the gold medal match.
After topping Group B in Matchplay, Australia had the choice of starting lane and selected Lane 38 for the semi-final. The Australians faced the United States for the second consecutive night, with the Americans progressing from Group A following a tight race for the second qualifying position through a tie-breaker.
Bella Westlake, Samantha Clifton, Brianna Walsh and Emily Hart made a strong start in Game 1, matching the United States frame for frame through much of the opening contest. Australia remained clean through eight frames and built momentum with a number of key strikes, but the Americans finished strong to take the game 225-208.
Australia made a lineup adjustment for Game 2, with Brianna Walsh leading off, followed by Samantha Clifton, Emily Hart and Bella Westlake. The Australians continued to battle hard, converting several important spares under pressure, but the United States found a strong run of strikes through the middle of the game to take control.
The USA claimed the second game 244-166 to win the semi-final series 2-0.
While the result was disappointing, the Australian women can be incredibly proud of their campaign. After fighting through a challenging qualifying to reach matchplay, the team showed resilience, belief and real team spirit to progress all the way to the final four nations in the world.
Australia’s Women’s Team campaign concludes with a bronze medal at the 2026 IBF World Youth Championships and will receive their medals on Monday, 6 July at the Medal Ceremony.
Watch the Women’s Team semi-final:
Today’s schedule in AEST
Australia contests the Mixed Team event today, with all eight athletes taking to the lanes for qualifying. Matchplay and the semi-finals will follow for teams that progress.
Squad 1 will be represented by Blake Walsh, Julian Dinham, Samantha Clifton, Brianna Walsh.
Squad 2 will be represented by Jackson Buckingham, Nicholas Rajkovic, Emily Hart, and Bella Westlake.
It will be a special occasion for the Walsh family, with brother and sister Blake and Brianna set to bowl together in the Mixed Team event. Their father, Cam, will also be coaching the pair.
11:00 – 14:00 AEST
Mixed Team Qualifying Squad 1
Blake Walsh, Julian Dinham, Samantha Clifton, Brianna Walsh
11, 8, 7, 26, 24, 21, 19, 16, 14, 13
15:00-18:00 AEST
Mixed Team Qualifying Squad 2
Jackson Buckingham, Nicholas Rajkovic, Emily Hart, Bella Westlake
11, 8, 7, 26, 24, 21, 19, 16, 14, 13
18:30-20:30 AEST
Mixed Team Matchplay
Top 16 teams from both squads combined will qualify for Matchplay
21:00-22:00 AEST
Mixed Team Semi Finals
Top 2 teams in each group of Matchplay will qualify for Semi-finals
What’s Next?
Sunday brings the Singles and Doubles semi-finals, with Julian Dinham returning for the Men’s Singles semi-final.
Julian, who finished on top of Group A Matchplay, will face the bowler who finished second in Group B Matchplay – New Zealand’s Ben Pettit.
Australia’s men will then contest the Men’s Team gold medal match against the Czech Republic on Monday, 6 July, alongside the remaining medal matches of the 2026 IBF World Youth Championships.
Follow Team Australia
Follow Team Australia throughout the 2026 IBF World Youth Championships via the World Youth Championships Hub for daily updates, Australian results, schedules and key event information.
All live streaming will be on the IBF YouTube page which you can find the links in our Team Australia Hub.
AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE!
