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AAP
AAP
Sport
Murray Wenzel

Lawn bowls star Wilson in Games comeback

Aaron Wilson has staged a fightback to stay alive in the men's lawn bowls singles in Birmingham. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Aaron Wilson has survived a mighty quarter-final scare to stay alive in his bid to become Australia's first back-to-back Commonwealth Games lawn bowls singles champion.

Gold medallist on the Gold Coast four years ago, Wilson had stormed into the quarter-finals with four dominant wins at Leamington Spa's Victoria Park, south-east of Birmingham.

But his quest to join four-time champion David Bryant as the only multiple winner of the blue riband event looked up in smoke when down 7-0 against England's Jamie Walker on Friday.

Wilson responded with 13 shots over the next five ends, including a four on the ninth end to turn the tide.

Up 20-13, Wilson then needed four ends to secure the winning shot to win 21-16 and land a Saturday semi-final berth against Scotland's Iain McLean.

Nicknamed Disco, Wilson made waves on the Broadbeach greens four years ago when he ripped his shirt off and celebrated becoming just the third Australian after Kelvin Kerkow and Rob Parrella to claim the title.

Victory would thrust him further into the history books and sit him behind only Englishman Bryant, who dominated the event in the 1960s and 1970s.

Australia have already claimed historic gold in the women's singles on Monday, Ellen Ryan breaking the country's hoodoo in the event with her own stirring comeback in the gold medal game.

Australia claimed silver in both men's and women's para pairs earlier in the week, while para mixed pairs team Helen Boardman and Jake Fehlberg bowl for bronze later on Friday.

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