Tonga’s women’s pairs secure dramatic tie-break victory in section play

Milika (Millie) Nathan (left) and Paris Baker (right) of Tonga compete in the women’s pairs Lawn Bowls on Day 0 of the XXIII Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

Tonga’s women’s pairs team secured a dramatic tie-break victory over South Africa on Day 0 of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The duo of Paris Baker and Milika Nathan overcame the South African pair of Jackie Janse van Rensburg and Thabelo Muvhango in Lawn Bowls Section B sectional play at the SEC Centre.

Match highlights and turning points

• Set 1 Triumph: The Tongan combination started strong, locking down a ⁠7-4 opening set win.
• Set 2 Fightback: South Africa counter-attacked aggressively to claim the second set 7-1, pushing the opening match into a tie-break.
• Tie-break Domination: Under high-pressure indoor conditions, Baker and Nathan held their nerve to blank South Africa 3-0 in the deciding end.

Milika (Millie) Nathan of Tonga competes in the women’s pairs Lawn Bowls on Day 0 of the XXIII Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

Paris Baker (right) of Tonga competes in the women’s pairs Lawn Bowls on Day 0 of the XXIII Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins.

Current progress and standings

Following this critical opening round win, Tonga sits in a competitive spot in the Section B pool standings.

Meanwhile, in the men's singles event, fellow Tongan bowler Liam Hill dropped his opening match 2-0 against New Zealand’s former world champion Shannon McIlroy.

Next up, the Tongan women's pairs team shifts their focus to a highly anticipated second-round encounter against England as they look to build momentum toward the knockout stages.

Milika (Millie) Nathan (left) and Paris Baker (right) of Tonga compete in the women’s pairs Lawn Bowls on Day 0 of the XXIII Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

Sectional Match Results

• Australia (Dawn Hayman & Kelsey Cottrell) def. Zambia (Foster Banda & Gertrude Siame): 2-0 (6-4, 14-0)
• Wales (Amy Williams & Lauren Gowen) def. Canada (Emma Boyd & Kelly McKerihen): 2-0 (9-2, 6-4)
• Tonga (Milika Nathan & Paris Baker) def. South Africa (Thabelo Muvhango & Jacqui Janse van Rensburg)
• Guernsey (Rose Ogier & Alison Merrien) def. Isle of Man (Caroline Whitehead & Paula Garrett): 2-0 (5-1, 3-2)
• India (Pinki Singh & Rupa Rani Tirkey) def. Malta (Connie Rixon & Rebecca Rixon): 2-1 (7-1, second set to Malta, won via tie-break

There will be four medal events in the Bowls programme at Glasgow 2026: Women’s Singles and Women’s Pairs, as well as Men’s Singles and Men’s Pairs. 

The 2026 Commonwealth Games are an ongoing multi-sport event taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2, 2026. The Games feature roughly 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories competing across 215 events in 10 streamlined sports

The sports program includes 10 core sports including athletics/para-athletics, swimming/para-swimming, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, bowls, weightlifting/para-powerlifting, netball, boxing, judo, and 3x3 basketball.