Chestney is happy enough with his Commonwealth silver medal

Published: 1:28 AM August 8, 2014

Updated: 8:19 PM October 10, 2020

England's John McGuiness (middle) Stuart Airey and Jamie Chestney (right) in action during their Men's triples match against the Falkland Islands at the Kelvingrove Lawn Bowls Centre during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire. - Credit: PA

Jamie Chestney insists he won’t let the disappointment of missing out on a first Commonwealth Games gold medal ruin what has been largely mission accomplished in Glasgow.

The 27-year-old from Fakenham will bring home a silver medal after he and teammates Stuart Airey, Andy Knapper and John McGuiness were beaten 18-6 by home nation Scotland on Friday.

England had led 5-4 after four ends but after that it was all one-way traffic as Scotland scored ten unanswered shots before closing the game out. Despite the defeat, Chestney will go home clutching his greatest success in the sport, eclipsing the World Championship bronze medal won in 2012. And having at least given himself a chance of gold against the favourites, he believes things have gone particularly well.

“I thought we played reasonably well to start with – we held a few good heads but Alex Marshall played a few good conversions with his last bowl,” he said. “They came on to a better game after that and I’m just a bit disappointed with my performance because I didn’t turn enough heads and didn’t play as well as I would have like to have done. We got a foot in the game but I just found the last bowl difficult and I didn’t turn the heads over. It was a great atmosphere – that is why we play bowls. It’s the Commonwealth final – but I never enjoy losing. At the minute it’s a bit disappointing but when I look back I’ll be happy – I said before I came that I would be happy with a medal.”

Team England have enjoyed their time on the Kelvingrove Lawn Bowls Centre greens, winning six medals in total to eclipse their efforts in Delhi four years ago where they won five.

And Chestney believes the togetherness of the squad enabled them all to battle back from disappointment to reach a medal match.

“There are other bigger singles events but in terms of a team event and representing your country this is the biggest honour you can have,” he added. I’d describe my week as nerve-wracking but hopefully I’ll be back, there were so many highs and lows but we have a medal at the end.”