Australia started Day One of Birmingham 2022 with a bang. (Photo: AUS Commonwealth Team)
The Aussies aimed for gold on Day One of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, with representation across 12 sports on the first day.
The Inner Sanctum has your complete recap here for all the Australian action on Day One.
Lawn Bowls
The Jackaroos enjoyed their first day at the Commonwealth Games, with seven wins, two draws and two losses.
The men’s pairs opened their account with a 29-7 win in Round One against Guernsey, which was followed by a 16-27 loss against Fiji in round two.
In the men’s triples, the Aussies recorded back-to-back wins, first with a 29-7 victory over Niue, then a 25-15 triumph over the Cook Islands.
In the women’s singles, the Jackaroos claimed victory over Kenya in round one with a 21-7 win. However, they lost in round two to Guernsey 11-21.
The women’s fours were matched by Botswana in round one, drawing 15-15. They then claimed victory over Fiji in round two, 16-10.
The para men’s and women’s Jackaroos also saw success. The men’s pairs won in round one against New Zealand 17-7, before following that up with a 12-12 draw against South Africa in round two.
Finally, In the para women’s pairs, they claimed victory in round one courtesy of a tight 16-15 win over Scotland.
Gymnastics – Artistic
Australia just missed out on a medal in the artistic gymnastics team events, finishing fourth with a score of 239.00, just .65 behind third placed Cyprus.
Rugby Sevens
The Australian men’s and women’s Rugby Sevens teams were in action on day one, both playing their opening two matches.
The Aussie women were up first, as they claimed a convincing 38-0 win over South Africa. The Aussies scored within 30 seconds as they showed their force early, before running in another five tries.
The Aussie men also claimed a mammoth victory in their first match, as they won 62-0 over Jamaica. They also scored within the first 30 seconds, before they ran in 10 tries to nil in a demolition; Samu Kerevi scored a hat-trick.
In the Aussie women’s second match, they were again dominant as they came out 50-0 winners over Scotland, who went down to six players in the first half courtesy of a yellow card.
The Aussies ran in eight tries as they not only remained undefeated through the opening two matches, but haven’t conceded a point.
Australia’s men’s side played against Uganda in their second group match of the Games. The Aussies scored first before Uganda hit back to lead 5-7 at half-time.
Australia scored after the break to lead 12-7, before receiving two yellow cards to go down to five men. Uganda scored out wide to hold the Australian men to a 12-12 draw.
Table Tennis
The Australian women’s team recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over Malaysia in their first match of the Commonwealth Games, before following that up with a 3-0 win over Mauritius.
Those results mean they have qualified for the quarter-finals but a win in their third match would ensure they top the group.
The Aussie men lost in a close match against Malaysia, 1-3, in their opening game of the Games. However, they bounced back from that defeat to claim a 3-2 win over Canada in their second match.
A win for the Aussie men in their third match would ensure a quarter-final berth.
Track Cycling
Australia’s men’s team faced England in the final of the men’s team sprint. They claimed gold for Australia with a time of 42.040 seconds, 1.332 seconds ahead of England.
Australia’s women’s team set a new Commonwealth Games record in the 4000m team pursuit final. They defeated New Zealand by five seconds with a time of four minutes 12.234 seconds as they won the gold medal.
The Aussies also claimed gold in the women’s tandem B sprint, as they won the event in back-to-back races over Scotland.
In the men’s 4000m team pursuit, the Aussies defeated Wales to claim the bronze medal.
Swimming
Australia dominated the pool on Day One of the Commonwealth Games, picking up five gold medals, two silver and two bronze.
Ariarne Titmus picked up gold in the women’s 200m freestyle final with a Commonwealth Games record time of 1:53.89, 0.12 seconds ahead of fellow Aussie Mollie O’Callaghan. The all-Aussie podium was rounded out by Madi Wilson, who took home bronze.
Australia picked up another 1-2-3 finish in the pool, as Elijah Winnington picked up gold in the men’s 400m freestyle final with a time of 3:43.06. Fellow Aussies Sam Short and Mack Horton picked up silver and bronze, respectively.
Elsewhere, Zac Stubblety-Cook followed the winning trend, picking up gold for Australia in the men’s 200m breaststroke.
Australia also claimed gold in the mixed 4×100 freestyle, with Emma McKeon bringing it home for the Aussies.
Elsewhere, para-swimmer Timothy Hodge won gold for Australia in the para men’s 100m backstroke S9 final.
Australia picked up two more bronze medals in the pool on day one through Kiah Melverton in the women’s 400m individual medley and Emily Beecroft in the 100m freestyle S9.
Cody Simpson, Kyle Chalmers and Matt Temple all did not reach the final of the men’s 50m butterfly, Simpson finishing sixth in his semi-final.
More Commonwealth Games News
Birmingham 2022: Medal Recap – Day One
Birmingham 2022: Preview Guide to the Aussie Beach Volleyball in the Commonwealth Games
Birmingham 2022: Preview Guide to the Aussie Wrestling in the Commonwealth Games
Cricket
The Aussie women’s cricket team survived a big scare against India in their first match at the Commonwealth Games to claim a three-wicket victory.
India won the toss and elected to bat first as opener Shafali Verma scored 48 runs from 33 balls.
She was well supported by Harmanpreet Kaur, in at number four, as she put on 52 runs from 34 deliveries.
Jessica Jonassen was the best of the Australian bowlers as she picked up four wickets for 22 runs off her four overs, helping to limit the Indian score to 8-154 off their 20 overs.
Australia was in trouble early as Alyssa Healy went for a duck as Australia’s top order fell, as did part of the middle order, the Aussies 5/49 inside eight overs.
Then, Ashleigh Gardner and Grace Harris combined for a partnership of 51 runs from 34 deliveries to get the Aussies back into the match.
Harris’ 37 runs off 20 balls, along with Gardner’s 52 not out off 35 helped the Aussies to a three-wicket victory. Alana King hit the winning runs off the final ball of the 19th over; she finished with 18 runs from 15 balls.
The Aussies chased down India’s target of 155 with an over to spare as they won by three wickets in the opening match at the Commonwealth Games.
Netball
The Australian Diamonds had seven Commonwealth Games debutants in their opening match against Barbados, as they won by a convincing 77 goals, 95-18.
Gretel Bueta shot 44 goals and captain Liz Watson had 29 assists as the Aussies put on a show in Birmingham against the Gems.
Following this performance, they will look forward to their next match against Scotland on day two.
Squash
Australian Rhys Dowling won in emphatic style in the first round against Saint Vincent and Grenadines’ Jason Doyle, 3-0.
Following this result, he will take on Malaysia’s Chee Wern Yuen in the round of 32.
Badminton
Australia took on Sri Lanka in Group A of the Badminton Mixed Team event. The Aussies lost 3-2 as they turn their attention to Pakistan in round two.
The Aussies also lost their opening mixed doubles match, Sri Lanka taking out the victory 2-0.
Meanwhile, in the men’s singles, Australia’s Nathan Tang lost to Sri Lanka’s Niluka Karunarate 2-0.
Australia’s first win in the event came when Hsuan-Yu (Wendy) Chen defeated Vidara Suhasni Vidanage in the women’s singles event 2-0.
However, the men’s doubles failed to win in their event, losing 2-0 to the Sri Lankans. In the women’s doubles, however, Australia claimed a 2-0 victory.
Basketball 3×3
Australia had a perfect start to its 3×3 basketball campaign at the Commonwealth Games, with all three teams picking up wins.
Firstly, the Australian women’s 3×3 basketball team defeated Scotland 21-9 to open their account at the Games.
Meanwhile, the men’s wheelchair 3×3 basketball team carried out a narrow two point victory over Canada, winning 13-11.
Lastly, in the women’s wheelchair 3×3 basketball match, the Aussies came away with a 12-5 victory over Scotland.
Boxing
Australia’s Billy Polkinghorne wasted no time in his first match at the Commonwealth Games, knocking out Seychelles’ Fabio Taryll Liam Roselie after just 34 seconds. This ensured he booked his spot in the light welterweight Round of 16 with ease.
He will be hoping to continue that momentum when he faces Uganda’s Joshua Tukamuhebwa in the next round.
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