Baker boys can hold their heads high

Unfortunately, the team returned home yesterday empty handed – but they can certainly hold their heads high following another refreshing performance in soaring the temperatures of the Jawaharial Nehru Stadium.

Team boss Jim Baker insisted before his team left that the tournament was a very much a fact-finding mission in the build-up to the Commonwealth Games - staged at the same venue later in this year.

With the tournament hosted on an artificial surface under the New Delhi heat, Baker will come home armed with many important facts.

And, his team also gave him plenty of food for through ahead of the main event.

They again proved they can live with the best in the world.

Sadly, they just missed out in the medal stakes, with Gary Kelly particularly unfortunate, along with Paul Daly, Martin McHugh and Neil Booth.

The 20 year old Kelly progressed through the group stage with an unblemished record – including wins over Scotland’s Paul Foster and Sam Tolchard, of England – until his final match.

However, even the 12-4, 8-8 defeat by South Africa’s Wayne Perry, accounted for little as Kelly had already booked his place in the semis, being the outright group winner.

However, that’s where the problems began. He lost to Malaysia’s Safuan Said 10-1, 14-3, which torpedoed his chances of a gold medal.

“After having the great run in the group stages, I just couldn’t get going in the semi final,” admitted Kelly.

“In saying that, my opponent was on top of his game. The heat was another telling factor. It was difficult to play in.”

It meant that Kelly faced a shoot-out against Foster for a bronze medal.

Sadly, the Provincial kid was pipped again. The Scot won the opening set 8-6 before claiming his prize with a 10-7 victory.

“I’m really disappointed,” added Kelly. “I really would have loved to have brought home medal, but it wasn’t to be.”

Said, went on to beat New Zealand’s Ali Forsythe to claim the gold medal.

Final table: Australia, England, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South Africa.